. 


THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 
OF  CALIFORNIA 

PRESENTED  BY 

PROF. CHARLES  A.  KOFOID  AND 
MRS.  PRUDENCE  W.  KOFOID 


11  He  had  come  quite  close  to  his  garden  gate  before  he 
perceived  the  little  figure  waiting  there." 

(Page  25) 


THE 
LOVE  OF  AZALEA 


BY 
ONOTO    WATANNA 

AUTHOR  OF  "A  JAPANESE  NIGHTINGALE,"  "THE 
HEART  OF  HYACINTH,"  ETC. 


ILLUSTRATED   BY    GAZO    FOUDJI 


NEW  YORK 

DODD,  MEAD  &   COMPANY 
1904 


Copyright,  1904,  by 
WINIFRED  BABCOCK 


Copyright,  19041  by 
DODD,  MEAD  &  CO. 

Published  October 


961 


ILLUSTRATIONS 

"  He  had  come  quite  close  to  his  garden 
gate  before  he  perceived  the  little 
figure  waiting  there."  .  Frontispiece 

"  '  This  is  the  American  way,'  he  said, 
boyishly,  and,  stooping,  kissed 
her."  .....  Facing  page  88 

"  She  threw  the  tablets  in  the  direction 
of  the  little  river  in  the  valley 
below."  ....  Facing  page  98 

"  '  My  house  awaits  your  coming,  and 
I  have  sworn  to  possess  you.'  " 

Facing  page  162 

"  The  shadows  of  the  night  were  her 
only  covering,  and  the  soft,  mossy 
grass  her  mattress."  Facing  page  166 

"As  the  sword  flashed  upward  he 
dashed  to  one  side  and  then  slipped 
under  its  guard."  .  Facing  page  228 


M311658 


THE   LOVE  OF   AZALEA 


THE  LOVE  OF  AZALEA 

CHAPTER    I 

IT  was  drowsy  in  the  little  mission  church, 
and  the  gentle  mellifluous  voice  of  the 
young  preacher  increased  rather  than  dis- 
pelled the  sleepy  peacefulness.  The  church, 
if  such  it  could  be  styled,  was  well  filled. 
The  people  of  Sanyo  knew  it  for  the  cool- 
est of  retreats.  They  drifted  aimlessly  in 
and  out  of  the  church,  making  no  pretense 
of  either  understanding  or  appreciating  the 
proceedings.  It  was  a  curious  congrega- 
tion, one  which,  innocentl"  enough,  never 
5 


THE    LOVE    OF    AZALEA 

thought  of  assisting  the  pastor.  They 
came  to  see  the  white  priest,  not  to  listen 
to  the  pleading  message  he  brought,  which 
as  yet  they  could  not  understand.  His 
Japanese  was  too  correct.  Spoken  slowly 
and  painfully  in  the  unfamiliar  accent  of 
the  Caucasian,  it  was  often  quite  unintelli- 
gible. But,  as  was  said,  the  church  was 
cool,  the  villagers  curious,  and  the  minister 
an  unending  source  of  wonder  to  them.  If 
some  of  the  congregation  waited  patiently 
throughout  the  length  of  the  sermon,  it 
was  not  because  they  deemed  this  the 
proper  thing  to  do,  but  because  they  knew 
they  would  be  treated  to  another  form  of 
entertainment,  which  they  childishly  en- 
6 


THE  LOVE  OF  AZALEA 
joyed.  For,  after  the  sermon,  the  minister, 
closing  the  large  black  book  before  him 
and  opening  a  small  red  one,  would  raise 
his  voice,  throw  back  his  head,  open  his 
mouth,  and  sing  aloud  in  a  voice  which  had 
never  lost  its  fascination  for  his  hearers. 
He  had  done  this  from  the  first,  leading  an 
unresponsive  congregation  in  hymns  of 
praise;  but  singing  to  the  end  alone.  No 
aiding  voice  took  up  the  refrain  with  him 
nor  was  there  even  the  music  of  an  organ 
to  bear  his  clear  voice  company.  Through 
the  opened  windows  the  chirp  of  the  birds 
floated.  Sometimes  a  baby,  grown  rest- 
less, laughed  and  crowed  aloud. 
On  this  particular  Sunday,  however,  the 
7 


THE    LOVE    OF    AZALEA 

minister,  who  appeared  unusually  happy, 
had  introduced  an  innovation.  As  its 
nature  had  been  whispered  about  the  vil- 
lage, the  service  in  consequence  was  well 
attended.  Behind  the  minister's  small  san- 
dal-wood pulpit  a  bench  had  been  placed, 
upon  which  the  people  saw  seated  five  of 
the  most  disreputable  waifs  of  the  town. 
At  first  they  were  hardly  recognizable. 
From  smudgy-faced,  soiled  and  tattered  bits 
of  flotsam,  they  were  transformed  in  gar- 
ments of  white — miniature  surplices  they 
were. 

The  minister  beamed  upon  them.    The 
boys  looked  stoically  back  at  him.    This 
day  those  in  the  church  forgot  to  look  about 
8 


THE    LOVE    OF    AZALEA 

at  the  various  objects  of  interest,  forgot  to 
drowse,  for  all  eyes  were  intent  upon  that 
little  row  behind  the  priest.  When  the 
sermon  was  ended  and  the  minister  turned 
to  the  red  hymn  book,  the  boys  arose  to 
their  feet,  and  as  his  baritone  voice  was 
raised,  five  piping  and  discordant  minor 
voices  joined  with  him. 

The  result  of  the  minister's  effort  for  a 
choir  was  immediate.  It  broke  up  the  apa- 
thy of  the  congregation. 

Groups  lingered  about  the  mission  house 
after  the  service — groups  of  curious  child- 
women  for  the  most  part.  The  question 
discussed  from  every  standpoint  was  the 
seeming  elevation  of  these  most  unsavory 

r» 


TH£    LOVE    OF    AZALEA 

and  godless  of  town  waifs.  How  could 
these  good  people  guess  that  the  young 
minister,  restless  at  the  seeming  fruitless- 
ness  of  his  labors,  had  given  of  his  own 
meagre  salary  to  induce  the  hungriest  of 
the  town,  for  so  many  sen,  to  be  respect- 
able for  one  day  in  the  week  ?  What  would 
not  a  Japanese  vagabond  do  for  a  sen  or  a 
sweet  potato  ?  Submit  to  a  bath,  a  robe  too 
clean  to  touch  and  the  pleasure— some- 
times pain — of  mimicking  the  voice  of  the 
white  man. 

The  mellow  tinkling  of  temple  bells  dis- 
turbed the  gossips.     It  was  the  hour  of 
noon,  when  the  gods  were  good  and  for  a 
little  prayer  would  give  them  sweet  food 
10 


THE    LOVE    OF    AZAI  EA 

and  excellent  appetites.  So  straight  from 
the  temple  of  the  white  priest  they  dis- 
persed, through  the  valley  to  the  opposite 
hill,  where  the  Shinto  Temple,  golden- 
tipped,  beckoned  them  to  the  prayers  they 
mechanically  understood;  a  moment  only 
in  the  temple,  nodding  heads  and  prostrat- 
ing bodies,  and  after  that,  home  and  the 
noon-day  meal.  Thus  every  day.  Only 
on  the  Sunday,  since  the  coming  of  the 
foreign  priest,  they  had  added  to  the  routine 
this  weekly  pilgrimage  of  curiosity  to  the 
white  man's  temple.  Strange  indeed  were 
the  ways  of  the  foreign  devils! 
"  Let  us  wait  a  little  while,"  said  a  round- 
11 


THE    LOVE    OF    AZALEA 
faced,  merry-eyed  maid  of  fifteen,  grasping 
the  sleeves  of  girl  friends. 

Azalea  was  departing  slowly  when  re- 
called by  the  raised  voice  of  her  friend.  At 
a  short  distance  from  the  other  girls  she 
paused  and  looked  back  inquiringly. 

"  Wait  till  they  come  out,"  continued  the 
speaker,  Ume-san  by  name,  "those  beg- 
gars, and  we  will  have  some  fun." 

"  Oh,  good !"  agreed  Koto,  snapping  her 
fan  upon  her  hand ;  "  we  will  find  out  what 
the  white  beast  says  to  them." 

"Perhaps,"   suggested    Fuji,    stretching 
herself— she  was  fat  and  indolent  and  the 
church  seat  was  hard—"  he  pays  them." 
12 


THE    LOVE    OF    AZALEA 

Azalea  looked  interested. 

"  I  wish,"  said  she  wistfully,  "  he  would 
pay  me  something." 

"Perhaps  he  will,"  said  Fuji,  nodding 
her  head  slowly;  "my  honorable  father 
says  he  is  rich — very  rich." 

"And  my  honorable  father  says  so,  too," 
said  Ume. 

"Oh,  all  foreign  devils  are,"  declared 
Koto  conclusively. 

"Well,  but  Matsuda  Isami  says  he  is 
not,"  said  Azalea.  "And  Matsuda  knows 
surely." 

"  Matsuda  is  jealous,"  said  Koto.  "  He 
wants  to  be  always  the  richest.  The  gods 
despise  avarice." 

13 


THE    LOVE    OF    AZALEA 

Azalea  was  fluttering  her  fan  somewhat 
nervously.  She  regarded  it  thoughtfully, 
then  closed  it  sharply. 

"I  am  avaricious,"  she  said,  with  the 
point  of  her  fan  touching  her  pretty  red 
underlip. 

Her  friends  laughed  at  her,  and  she 
blushed. 

"  Yes,"  she  said,  "  I  am  avaricious.  The 
gods  will  despise  me  truly.  I  adore  money. 
I  would  like  to  have  one  hundred  yen  all 
to  myself." 

"What  would  you  do  with  it?"  ques- 
tioned Ume,  the  oldest  of  the  four. 

"  I  would  leave  my  step-mother's  house," 
said  Azalea  simply. 

14 


THE  LOVE  OF  AZALEA 
"Here  they  come!"  cried  Koto.  The 
girls  fell  into  an  excited  little  line  by  the 
church  door,  one  behind  the  other.  Out 
came  the  choir-— their  surplices  doffed,  their 
washed  faces  wide  with  smiles  and  their 
little  eyes  shining.  Five  sen  rattled  in  the 
sleeve  of  each.  The  girls  had  drawn  in 
hiding  behind  the  church  portico  in  order 
to  surprise  them.  Now  they  sprang  out 
into  view,  and  grasped  the  boys  by  the 
sleeves.  Thinking  they  were  being  set  upon 
for  their  hard-earned  sen,  a  series  of  angry 
shrieks  and  snorts  burst  out.  Their  fears 
set  at  rest  by  the  merry  laughter  of  the 
girls,  they  were  finally  induced  to  tell  all 
they  knew.  The  minister,  it  seems,  had 
15 


THE    LOVE    OF    AZALEA 

brought  them  to  his  house  at  various  times, 
had  fed  them  on  sweet  potatoes  and  rice 
cakes,  and  had  taught  them  to  sing  just  as 
he  did.  For  this  public  effort  in  his  temple, 
he  had  given  them  each — well,  they  did  not 
propose  to  tell  any  one  how  much  he  had 
given,  but  the  intimation  was  that  it  was  a 
sum  sufficient  to  keep  them  in  luxury  for 
some  time  to  come.  Furthermore,  they,  the 
members  of  his  choir,  were  to  have  this 
same  sum  given  to  them  as  a  weekly  in- 
come, for  singing,  just  like  the  white  priest, 
in  his  church,  each  Sunday. 

Azalea  sighed  and,  sitting  on  the  church 
steps,  looked  at  the  fortunate  boys  with 
envious  and  wistful  eyes. 
16 


THE    LOVE    OF    AZALEA 

"And  does  not  the  white  beast  want 
females  also  to  sing?"  she  asked. 

"  Females !  "  repeated  one  of  the  boys. 
"Did  the  gods  ever  favor  females?" 

"  The  foreign  devil  is  not  a  god,"  said 
Azalea  thoughtfully.  "Who  knows,  per- 
haps he  would  pay  me  also  to  sing  with 
him." 

"  Time  to  go  home,"  said  Koto,  and  she 
pulled  Ume's  sleeve.  "Are  you  not  hun- 
gry? Come,  Azalea!" 

"She  won't  give  me  to  eat,  my  most 
honorable  mother-in-law,"  said  Azalea.  "  I 
need  not  go  there." 

"You  will  soon  be  a  beggar,  too,  Aza- 
lea," laughed  Koto,  "and  the  white  man 
17 


THE    LOVE    OF    AZALEA 
will  give  you  charity.    But  come,  girls." 

Clinging  to  each  other's  hands  and  almost 
tripping  over  each  other's  heels,  the  three 
girls  fluttered  homeward  down  the  hill, 
leaving  Azalea  sitting  alone,  looking  mood- 
ily and  reflectively  at  the  choir  boys,  now 
counting  their  money.  She  knew  that  they, 
like  her,  were  orphans.  Unlike  her,  they 
had  not  an  uncharitable  roof,  called  by  her 
ungracious  step-parent  a  home  for  her. 
Shelter  beneath  it  was  only  grudgingly 
accorded,  because  Azalea's  step-mother  was 
vain  and  feared  the  criticism  of  neighbors 
and  the  wrath  of  the  gods  should  she  turn 
Azalea  out.  As  it  was,  the  young  girl  was 
only  half  fed  and  her  clothes  were  those 
18 


THE    LOVE    OF    AZALEA 

half-worn  ones  thrown  to  her  by  arrogant 
and  fortunate  step-sisters,  yet  the  girl's 
nimble  fingers  made  those  same  threadbare 
garments  objects  of  attractiveness,  which 
set  of!  her  own  appealing  beauty.  But  she 
was  seventeen,  unmarried  and  unhappy. 
Something  must  be  done  soon,  or  she  would 
become  the  bride  of  the  river.  Her  step- 
mother's scoldings  grew  with  the  girl's  in- 
creasing beauty  and  grace.  She  did  not 
know  this  was  the  cause,  only  she  knew 
life  was  becoming  unbearable. 

The  choir  boys  had  already  shuffled  a 
portion  of  the  way  down  the  hill  slope, 
when  she  sprang  to  her  feet  and  ran  after 
them. 

19 


THE    LOVE    OF    AZALEA 

"  Gonji ! "  she  called  one  of  th&m  by 
name.  "Wait  just  a  moment." 

They  stopped  and  she  overtook  them. 
She  was  breathless  when  she  reached  them. 

"  Is  it  because  you  are  beggars,"  she 
said,  "  that  this  priest  favors  you  ?  " 

Gonji  nodded. 

"  I,"  said  Azalea,  spreading  out  her  little 
hands,  "  am  also  a  beggar." 

They  laughed  at  her.  Only  the  home- 
less were  beggars  in  their  eyes.  In  addi- 
tion, members  of  her  sex  were  received 
among  them  only  when  they  had  reached 
the  old  witch  age.  The  country  knew 
many  old  women  beggars,  who  drifted, 
20 


THE    LOVE    OF    AZALEA 

whining,  upon  their  staffs  from  town  to 
town.  Often  they  were  blind  and  clung 
to  the  rope  about  the  neck  of  a  tailless  cat, 
which  led  them.  Who  ever  heard  of  a 
maiden  beggar?  So  Azalea's  statement 
was  received  in  laughter. 

"How  much  did  the  minister  give?" 
she  demanded,  ignoring  their  jeers. 

«  Five— ten— maybe  one  hundred  sen," 
glibly  lied  Gonji. 

Her  eyes  widened  and  shone. 

"Oh!"  she  said. 

"That's  only  for  the  singing,"  said 
Gonji;  "if  we  become  convert  to  his  re- 
ligion he  will  pay  more." 

He  turned  to  his  companions  for  verifl- 
21 


THE    LOVE    OF    AZALEA 
cation.    They  had  moved  on  their  way  and 
he  made  to  join  them. 

"  No,  no,  don't  go!    Wait  a  little  while, 
please ! " 
"Well?" 

What  is  '  convert  ?'" 
"Why,"  the  Japanese  boy  of  sixteen 
racked  his  brain  for  an  explanation  of  the 
word,  "why,  that's    to—ah— that's    just 
abandoning  the  gods  for  a  new  one." 

"Oh!"  His  sleeve  dropped  from  her 
grasp  and  she  drew  back,  her  face  some- 
what blanched. 

"Abandon  the  gods!"  she  repeated. 
"  But  if  we  do  that,  then  the  gods  will  be 
angry  with  us." 

22 


THE    LOVE    OF    AZALEA 

"  That  is  true,"  nodded  Gonji  reflectively. 
"  It's  bad  business,"  he  added. 

"Perhaps,"  she  essayed  almost  timidly, 
"  that  new  God  is  also  kind  and  good." 

Gonji  shook  his  head  skeptically. 

"  The  priest  at  the  temple  says  that  he 
is  really  an  evil  spirit." 

The  girl  shuddered.  She  turned  away 
from  Gonji  and  he  resumed  his  way  down 
the  hill. 

Azalea  walked  listlessly  back  to  the  mis- 
sion house.  When  she  had  reached  it,  she 
paused  irresolute.  A  sudden  idea  had  come 
to  her.  Why  should  she  not  pretend  to  be 
converted  ?  When  the  barbarian  priest  had 
paid  her  she  would  go  to  the  shrine  of 
23 


THE    LOVE    OF    AZALEA 

Kwannon  and  confess  her  lie.  She  would 
give  half  of  the  money  to  the  gods,  who 
would  forgive  her;  she  was  hungry  and  ill- 
treated  and  she  wished  to  leave  the  home  of 
her  step-mother,  who  was  cruel  to  her.  If 
money  could  be  earned  by  a  little  lie,  why 
should  she  not  earn  it?  She  would!  She 
would ! 

The  young  minister  closed  and  locked 
the  door  of  the  church.  Turning  on  the 
threshold,  he  paused  a  moment  before 
descending  the  little  flight  of  steps,  and 
looked  about  him  at  the  smiling,  sunny 
landscape. 

The  bells  of  the  neighboring  temple  were 
melodious,  and  he  found  himself  absently 
24 


THE    LOVE    OF    AZALEA 
listening  to  them.    With  his  hands  clasped 
behind,    and    his    head    somewhat    bent, 
Richard  Verley  turned  slowly  toward  his 
home. 

It  was  only  the  length  of  an  iris  field 
from  the  church,  a  pleasant  saunter.  The 
minister  was  wont  to  dream  upon  these 
walks — dream  of  the  future  harvest  which 
would  repay  his  earnest  labors. 

He  had  come  quite  close  to  his  garden 
gate  before  he  perceived  the  little  figure 
waiting  there.  It  was  her  voice—her  odd, 
breathless  voice,  which  called  his  attention 
to  her — though  he  heard  the  one  word 
'  convert '  spoken  in  English.  The  rest  of 
her  speech  was  unintelligible. 
25 


THE    LOVE    OF    AZALEA 

She  stood  in  the  sunlight,  her  cheeks 
vividly  red,  her  eyes  wide  with  excitement 
and  with  fright.  It  was  that  fearful,  piteous 
something  about  her  whole  attitude  which 
from  the  first  reached  and  appealed  in- 
stantly to  the  sympathies  of  the  minister. 

"  You  wish  to  speak  to  me?  "  he  asked. 

"  Yaes,"  she  said,  nodding  her  head,  and 
then  very  swiftly,  as  though  she  had  learned 
the  words  by  rote — "  I  am  convert  unto 
you,  Excellency." 

"Convert!"  His  eyes  kindled  and  he 
stared  at  her  without  speaking  a  moment. 
Her  head  drooped,  as  if  from  its  own  small 
weight. 

26 


THE    LOVE    OF    AZALEA 

"  Yaes,"  she  said  in  the  lowest,  the  faint- 
est of  voices,  "  I  am  convert— Chlistian !  " 

He  seized  both  her  hands,  and  held  them 
warmly  in  his  own. 

"  Come  into  my  house,  my  child,"  he 
said.  "  Let  us  talk  it  over." 

Her  hands  fluttered  in  his,  then  she 
suddenly  withdrew  them.  They  slipped 
back  into  her  sleeves.  She  stood  uncer- 
tainly before  him,  hesitating  to  pass  through 
the  gate  he  had  opened  for  her. 

"  Come !  "  he  urged  gently. 


CHAPTER  II. 

Even  while  the  minister  in  the  coolness 
of  his  study  softly  and  gently  questioned 
his  faltering  "  convert,"  a  wily  and  smooth- 
speaking  Nakoda  was  visiting  her  step- 
mother. Madame  Yamada,  as  the  latter 
was  called,  knew  the  marriage  broker  well, 
and  being  the  mother  of  two  daughters  by 
a  marriage  previous  to  that  with  Azalea's 
father,  she  welcomed  him  with  more  than 
usual  cordiality. 

Would  not  the  estimable  Mr.  Okido 
remove  his  shoes  and  eat  the  noon  meal 
within  her  humble  house  ? 

The  estimable  Mr.  Okido  would. 
28 


THE    LOVE    OF    AZALEA 

Madame  Yamada  sent  a  scullery  maid  fly- 
ing to  his  feet,  where,  kneeling  in  the 
humblest  attitude,  she  removed  his  dusty 
sandals.  Then  she  brought  fresh  water 
with  which  to  bathe  his  feet. 

Madame  Yamada,  who  had  not  engaged 
the  services  of  Okido,  was  curious  to  know 
the  nature  of  his  mission  to  her.  She  dis- 
guised her  curiosity,  however,  under  the 
blandest  of  manners.  With  swift  acuteness 
she  introduced  her  daughters  into  the  room 
and  had  them  serve  the  man,  throughout 
the  meal  glancing  under  her  eyelashes  to 
watch  the  effect  of  her  daughters'  sundry 
charms  upon  the  Nakoda,  who  she  knew 
would  not  fail  to  dwell  upon  all  such  points 
29 


THE  LOVE  OF  AZALEA 
with  his  employer.  But  strangely  enough, 
Okido  scarcely  seemed  to  notice  the  pres- 
ence of  her  daughters,  and  ate  his  meal  in 
somewhat  stolid  silence.  After  the  repast 
he  permitted  the  pipe  to  be  lighted  for  him 
and  proceeded  to  smoke  at  his  leisure. 

Madame  Yamada  could  contain  her  curi- 
osity no  longer.  At  a  sign  from  her,  her 
daughters  withdrew.  Then  she  addressed 
the  Nakoda. 

"In  what  way,"  she  asked,  "is  the 
humblest  one  indebted  to  the  esteemed 
Okido  for  his  honorable  visit  ? " 

Okido  put  down  the  pipe  on  the  hibachi 
and,    turning   toward    Madame   Yamada, 
looked  at  her  keenly. 
30 


THE    LOVE    OF    AZALEA 

"You  have  daughters,  Madame  Yam- 
ada." 

"  Two,'*  she  answered  promptly. 

"  Three,"  said  Okido  slowly. 

The  esteemed  one  was  mistaken.  The 
gods  had  only  blessed  her  with  two. 

Nay,  the  gods  had  been  kinder.  Were 
there  not  three,  including  her  step-daughter  ? 

"Ah,  yes."  Madame  Yamada  smiled 
coldly. 

"  Let  me  repeat,"  he  said  slowly.  "  You 
have  daughters." 

"Yes;"  she  allowed  the  word  to  escape 
her  lips  impatiently.  Would  the  stupid 
broker  never  come  to  his  business? 

"And  I,"  said  Okido,  "have  a  client 
31 


THE    LOVE    OF    AZALEA 

who  desires  the  hand  of  one  of  your 
daughters." 

A  red  spot  appeared  in  either  of  Madame 
Yamada's  cheeks. 

"What  is  the  name  of  his  honorable 
parent? "  she  asked,  no  longer  attempting 
to  conceal  her  interest. 

Okido  leaned  toward  her  impressively. 

"  His  name  is  Matsuda  Isami." 

Madame  Yamada's  hands  trembled.  She 
scarcely  could  control  her  voice. 

«  What— the " 

"  Yes,  the  rich  Matsuda  Isami." 

The  woman  thrilled  with  maternal  pride. 
Her  bosom  heaved.  "And  which  of  my 
32 


THE    LOVE    OF    AZALEA 

daughters,"  she  asked,  "has  pleased  the 
taste  of  the  exalted  Matsuda?  " 

Okido  rubbed  his  hands  softly. 

"  That  one,"  he  said,  "  who  is  augustly 
named  Azalea." 

Madame  Yamada  started  to  her  feet  with 
a  cry.  Then  recalling  herself  she  sat  down 
again  and  for  a  space  of  a  long  moment 
did  not  stir.  She  regarded  the  Nakoda 

with  baleful  eyes.  Suddenly  she  found 
her  voice. 

" Excellent  Okido,"  she  said,  "the  hum- 

ble  one  cannot  marry  the  youngest  of  her 

daughters  first.    Pray  return  to  the  exalted 

Matsuda  and  say  from  me  that  I  am  willing 

33 


THE    LOVE    OF    AZALEA 
to  consent  to  his  marriage  to  my  oldest 
daughter." 

"  What!  "  cried  the  amazed  Okido,  "  you 
refuse?" 

"  Who  spoke  of  refusing?  "  she  asked  in 
an  agitated  voice. 

"  Your  answer  is  a  refusal,  Madame." 

The  woman  was  silent,  her  mind  busily 
at  work. 

"Listen,  Okido,"  she  finally  said,  "a 
promise  was  made  by  me  to  the  august 
father,  now  dead,  of  the  girl  Azalea.  He 
bade  me  promise  him  that  Azalea  should  be 
given  to  no  one  in  marriage  save  with  her 
own  consent.  So!  I  withdraw  the  offer  of 
my  oldest  daughter  as  bride  to  Matsuma, 
34 


THE    LOVE    OF    AZALEA 
and  instead  say  this:  Bid  the  exalted  one 
win  first  the  consent  of  Azalea.    He  is  then 
welcome  to  her." 

"  Good !  "  said  Okido,  arising  and  shak- 
ing the  crumbs  from  his  hakama.  "We 
will  make  direct  suit  to  the  maiden." 

Madame  Yamada  had  arisen  also.  "  Yes, 
that  is  it,"  she  said,  "  and  for  that  purpose 
heed  the  advice  of  one  experienced  in  such 
matters.  Let  His  Excellency  visit  much 
the  home  of  the  humblest,  and,  in  person, 
press  the  suit." 

Okido  regarded  her  uneasily.  "My 
business "  he  began. 

"  Oh,  excellent  Okido,"  interrupted  the 
woman,  "  I  promise  you  that  you  will  earn 


THE    LOVE    OF    AZALEA 

your  fee.  Further,  should  the  suit  of  your 
client  fail— should  the  girl  be  obstinate  and 
refuse  his  proposal,  bear  in  mind,  good 
Okido,  that  a  double  fee  will  be  in  your 
palm  if  my  oldest  daughter  finds  favor  in 
the  eyes  of  Matsuda." 

Okido  nodded  his  head  slowly.  He  was 
thoughtful  as  the  maid  slipped  on  his  san- 
dals. As  he  left  the  house  he  stopped  at 
the  threshold  and  looked  back  at  Madame 
Yamada.  Her  colorless  face  was  drawn 
into  strange  lines.  Her  long  eyes  were 
half  closed.  Upon  her  face  there  was  cal- 
culation— cold,  cruel.  She  slowly  repeated 
her  words.  Again  nodding  understanding, 
if  not  assent,  the  marriage  broker  went  on 
36 


THE    LOVE    OF    AZALEA 

his  way  pensively  toward  the   house  of 
Matsuda  Isami. 


37 


CHAPTER     III 

As  Azalea  walked  homeward  from  the 
minister's  house,  she  could  still  hear  in 
dreamy  fancy  the  eloquent  tones  of  his 
voice.  She  found  that  though  beyond  his 
presence  she  still  thrilled  at  the  very  mem- 
ory of  his  face.  He  had  cast  a  spell  upon 
her,  she  told  herself.  He  was  a  disciple  of 
the  Evil  One.  She  must  go  to  the  temple 
of  Kwannon  for  help.  Possibly  the  priests 
there  would  give  her  some  talisman  which 
would  preserve  her  from  any  spell  the 
barbarian  might  cast  upon  her.  For  though 
her  ruse  had  failed  and  her  sleeves  were 
empty  of  yen,  yet  still  she  had  promised 
38 


THE    LOVE    OF    AZALEA 

the  minister  to  visit  him  again  the  following 
day.  Now  she  found  herself  wishing  that 
the  morrow  would  come  speedily. 

Her  step-mother  met  her  at  the  door  of 
the  house.  Her  lips  were  drawn  in  a 
strange  fashion  apart  and  her  long  teeth 
showed.  This  was  her  manner  of  smiling. 
It  was  uglier  and  more  sinister  than  a 
frown.  Azalea  quickened  her  steps,  the 
color  beating  up  into  her  face.  When  she 
saw  that  set  smile  upon  Madame  Yamada's 
face  she  stopped  abruptly  before  the 
woman.  But  her  step-mother  spoke  in  the 
most  amiable  of  tones: 

"You  must  be  hungry,  my  daughter, 
since  you  have  not  had  your  noon  meal." 
39 


THE    LOVE    OF    AZALEA 

The  girl  raised  her  eyes  inquiringly 
toward  the  woman.  Then  she  answered 
simply: 

"Yes,  mother-in-law,  I  am  hungry." 

"Come  into  the  kitchen,  then,  Azalea. 
The  maid  has  kept  your  rice  warm." 

Azalea  was  too  much  accustomed  to  the 
vicissitudes  of  fortune  to  wonder  at  the 
sudden  generosity  of  the  step-mother.  She 
ate  the  rice  and  sipped  the  fragrant  tea  with 
mechanical  relish.  The  meal  was  unex- 
pected, but  non  the  less  palatable  to  a 
hungry  young  girl.  She  suspected  that  her 
step-mother  required  something  of  her,  but 
her  mind,  occupied  with  its  late  thoughts  of 
the  minister,  had  no  room  for  speculation 
40 


THE    LOVE    OF    AZALEA 

over  the  motives  of  her  step-mother.  She 
let  Madame  Yamada  herself  open  the 
subject. 

"Daughter,"  said  the  woman,  "would 
you  enjoy  a  trip  to  Tokyo  ?  " 

Azalea  looked  up  quickly;  then  she 
answered  shortly: 

"  No." 

Madame  Yamada's  eyes  narrowed.  She 
controlled  her  feelings,  however. 

"  What,  Azalea !  You  do  not  wish  to  go 
to  Tokyo,  where  everything  is  so  gay  and 
bright  and  beautiful  ?  " 

Azalea  rested  her  chin  upon  her  hand  and 
looked  out  from  the  kitchen  shoji  across 
the  fields.    She  did  not  answer. 
41 


THE    LOVE    OF    AZALEA 

"  You  are  becoming  old,"  said  the  step- 
mother. "You  will  have  to  earn  your 
living  soon." 

Azalea  did  not  move,  but  her  step- 
mother knew  she  was  listening  to  her 
words. 

"  Here,"  she  continued,  "  there  is  no  way 
in  which  you  could  earn  money,  for  you 
are  of  samurai  descent  and  your  august 
ancestors  would  not  rest  easily  should  you 
be  reduced  to  manual  labor." 

"Mother-in-law,"  said  the  girl  quietly, 
"  you  would  be  ashamed  before  our  neigh- 
bors if  I  were  to  obtain  work  here.  My 
august  ancestors  would  feel  no  shame." 

"What  could  you  do  here?" 
42 


THE    LOVE    OF    AZALEA 

Azalea  looked  at  her  small  white  hands 
thoughtfully. 

"  I  could  work  in  the  mills,"  she  said, 
and  added  with  a  girlish  sigh,  "  but  it  would 
maim  my  hands." 

"Yes,  and  also  your  back,  your  knees, 
and  afterwards  your  spirit.  Let  the  stout 
peasant  women  labor  that  way,  Azalea. 
Such  employment  is  not  for  one  of  gentle 
birth.  You  shall  go  to  Tokyo." 

"What  shall  I  do  there? "  inquired  the 
girl. 

"You  have  beauty  and  youth,"  said 
Madame  Yamada  slowly. 

The  girl  moved  uneasily  and  then  catch- 
ing sight  of  the  expression  upon  her 
43 


THE    LOVE    OF    AZALEA 

mother's  face,  she  made  as  if  to  arise;  but 
the  other  held  her  by  the  sleeve. 

"Why  do  you  start  so?"  she  inquired 
gruffly.  "Do  you  suppose  I  referred  to 
the  yoshiwara  ? " 

"Yes,"  said  Azalea,  white  to  the  lips. 
Her  voice  became  passionate.  "  I  will  not 
go,  then,"  she  said.  "You  shall  not  sell 
me.  I  am  the  daughter  of  a  samurai." 

"  Foolish  child !  Who  spoke  of  selling 
you  to  the  yoshiwara  ?  " 

"Ah,  your  eyes  spoke,  mother-in-law. 
Besides,  what  other  employment  could  my 
youth  and  beauty  find  in  Tokyo  ?  " 

"Are  there  not  geishas  and  tea  house 
44 


THE    LOVE    OF    AZALEA 

girls,  and  is  not  their  employment  esteemed 
admirable?" 

"Yes,  but  I  have  not  their  accomplish- 
ments, and  I  am  too  old  to  learn  how  to 
dance.  To  be  a  geisha,  I  have  heard,  one 
must  apprentice  at  the  age  of  twelve.  I 
am  eighteen  years.  Yes,  I  am  getting  old," 
she  finished. 

Madame  Yamada,  who  sat  behind  her, 
looked  at  her  with  eyes  that  held  no  mercy. 
In  some  manner  the  girl  must  be  sent  away. 
Matsuda  should  then  be  told  that  she  pre- 
ferred the  life  of  gayety  in  Tokyo  to  mar- 
riage with  him.  After  that,  Yuri-san,  the 
oldest  daughter,  would  console  and  win 
him.  Azalea  had  always  appeared  passive 
45 


THE    LOVE    OF    AZALEA 

and  obedient  by  nature.  This  sudden  im- 
pulse of  stubbornness  was  as  unexpected 
as  it  was  disturbing  to  her  step-mother. 
What  if  this  slim  young  girl,  with  her  child- 
ish face  of  innocence,  should  develop  the 
strong  will  of  her  samurai  parent  ?  Madame 
Yamada  smiled  unpleasantly  at  the  pros- 
pect, and  her  smile  boded  no  good  for  the 
young  girl. 

Meanwhile  Azalea  continued  to  look  out 
dreamily  through  the  opened  shoji  towarcj 
the  hill,  upon  whose  slope  stood  the  little 
peaked  mission  house.  The  words  of  the 
minister  kept  repeating  themselves  in  her 
head. 

"There  is  only  one  true  God.  He  it 
46 


THE    LOVE    OF    AZALEA 

was  who  created  the  world — and  you.  He 
loves  you,  and  will  watch  over  and  care 
for  you  always." 

Ah,  if  it  were  only  true,  thought  Azalea. 
If  this  new  God  would  only  be  kinder  than 
those  she  had  known,  then  she  might  even 
close  the  eyes  of  her  heart  to  the  words  of 
the  priests  of  Kwannon,  and  forget  they 
had  told  her  the  God  of  the  barbarians  was 
an  evil  spirit.  She  would  prove  Him.  If 
He  proved  unkind  to  her  she  would  believe 
it,  but  if  it  were  otherwise,  why  how  could 
the  evil  one  be  kind  ?  It  was  not  possible. 

"Answer  when  you  are  spoken  to," 
broke  in  her  step-mother's  sharp  voice. 

Azalea  started. 

47 


THE    LOVE    OF    AZALEA 

"I  did  not  hear  you  speak,  honorable 
step-mother." 

"Your  ears  are  accommodatingly  dull. 
You  did  not  care  to  hear." 

Azalea  sighed,  then  pressed  her  lips  to- 
gether, as  if  to  prevent  the  retort  that  might 
have  escaped  them. 

Madame  Yamada  bent  toward  her. 

"Do  you  wish  to  marry?" 

Azalea  reflected. 

"  No-o,"  she  said  softly,  and  then,  "per- 
haps, yes.  It  would  be  a  solution  of  my 
troubles,  step-mother,  would  it  not?  " 

"  Would  you  marry  any  one  who  asked. 
you,  then?    You  appear  to  lack  the  com- 
mon qualities  of  maiden  modesty." 
48 


THE    LOVE    OF    AZALEA 

"  I  did  not  say  I  would  marry  any  one," 
said  the  girl,  flushing,  "  but  almost  anyone 
would  be  kinder  than  you." 

They  were  daring  words,  and  she  antici- 
pated their  effect  upon  her  step-mother,  for, 
after  having  spoken  them  she  made  a 
frightened  motion  from  the  older  woman, 
who  had  seized  her  arm  and  was  cruelly 
pinching  it.  Tears  of  pain  came  into  the 
girl's  eyes,  but  she  made  no  outcry.  Sud- 
denly Madame  Yamada  flung  the  girl's  arm 
from  her. 

"Did  my  touch  hurt,  then?"  she  in- 
quired. 

"  Yes,"  said  Azalea  briefly,  her  arm  still 
sore,  though  released. 
49 


THE    LOVE    OF    AZALEA 

"  Yet,"  said  her  step-mother,  "  the  pain 
inflicted  by  a  woman,  who  is  weak,  is 
nothing  to  that  inflicted  by  a  man.  What 
will  you  do  when  your  husband  beats  you  ?" 

"  I  do  not  know,"  said  Azalea  mechanic- 
ally, and  then  added  slowly,  "  but  I  should 
not  weep,  mother-in-law.  I  would  not  give 
him  that  pleasure.  But — "  she  paused; 
"all  husbands  do  not  beat  their  wives. 
Perhaps  the  gods  will  favor  me  with  a  kind 
one.  I  should  not  marry  him  otherwise." 

"How  will  you  test  his  kindness?  "  asked 
her  mother  scornfully. 

"  I  will  know,"  she  answered.  "  I  will 
see  him  and  love  him  before  I  marry  him." 

She  arose  and  fluttered  her  sleeves  back 
50 


THE  LOVE  OF  AZALEA 
and  forth.  Her  arm  was  in  pain.  She 
moved  it  thus  mechanically  as  a  nervous 
method  of  relief,  but  Madame  Yamada  had 
seen  the  figure  coming  along  the  white  road 
toward  their  house,  and  she  leaped  to  her 
feet  like  a  savage. 

"  What ! "  she  cried.  "  You  stand  shame- 
lessly in  the  open  doorway  shaking  your 
arms  in  unmaidenly  fashion  because  a  man 
approaches." 

"I  did  not  even  see  him,"  said  Azalea, 
shrinking  before  the  anger  of  her  step- 
mother's expression,  "and,  mother-in-law, 
see  for  yourself.  The  man  is  Matsuda 
Isami.  Is  it  likely  I  would  fling  my  sleeves 
at  him?" 

51 


THE    LOVE    OF    AZALEA 
"At  him  most  of  all,"  said  her  step- 
mother hoarsely.    "  Do  not  deny  it,  shame- 
less girl!" 

Before  Azalea  could  recover  from  the 
surprise  occasioned  by  these  words,  Madame 
Yamada,  with  one  black  look  cast  back  at 
her,  had  left  the  kitchen,  and  was  hastening 
to  the  front  part  of  the  house,  there  to 
prostrate  herself  with  slavish  sweetness  and 
politeness  before  the  exalted  Matsuda 
Isami. 


CHAPTER    IV 

Matsuda  Isami  was  a  small,  sharp-eyed 
man  of  possibly  forty.  He  was  rich  and 
powerful,  the  landlord  of  many  of  the 
families  in  Sanyo.  The  people  feared  him, 
while  they  respected  his  employment  of 
hundreds  of  coolies,  and  it  was  said  his 
parsimony  had  made  him  rich  and  kept  the 
whole  community  poor.  In  some  way, 
direct  or  indirect,  nearly  everyone  in  the 
community  was  in  his  service  or  debt.  He 
was  the  magnate  of  the  town,  and  accord- 
ingly hated,  feared,  dreaded.  He  had  come 
on  foot  to  the  humble  home  of  Madame 
Yamada,  he,  the  taciturn,  cold-hearted  head 
53 


THE  LOVE  OF  AZALEA 
man  of  the  town,  and  all  because  Azalea, 
walking  in  the  sun,  in  a  kimona,  patched, 
faded,  but  pretty,  had  turned  her  head 
toward  him  quite  recently  and  smiled  with 
childish  impudence.  Few  people  smiled 
upon  Matsuda.  This  shabby  daughter  of 
a  samurai  who  in  the  early  days  had  made 
no  secret  of  his  lordly  contempt  for  the 
rich  tradesman  had  captivated  Matsuda  by 
one  fleeting,  innocent  smile.  Matsuda  de- 
sired her  now  above  all  things,  and  swore 
by  all  the  gods  that  he  would  have  her. 

Wealth  and  power,  after  all,  were  not 

sufficient  to  gratify  the  insatiable  greed  of 

his  nature.    He  was  desirous  of  something 

more  priceless,  and  for  which  he  would 

54 


THE    LOVE    OF    AZALEA 

have  given  up  all  Ms  possessions — this 
beautiful  young  girl,  Azalea. 

With  impatience  he  listened  to  Madame 
Yamada's  servile  words  of  compliment  and 
welcome.  Hardly  had  he  seated  himself 
and  with  a  gesture  refused  the  proffered 
pipe,  when  he  spoke  of  the  object  of  his 
visit. 

In  accordance  with  her  suggestion  con- 
veyed to  him  through  the  Nakoda,  he  had 
come  in  person  to  make  his  suit  to  her 
daughter.  He  desired  to  see  her  at  once. 

The  prevaricating  words  of  temporizing 
that  came  to  Madame  Yamada's  lips  were 
not  even  listened  to  by  him. 

Her  daughter  not  at  home?  Very  well, 
55 


THE    LOVE    OF    AZALEA 

he  would  go,  then,  at  once.  Thereupon 
he  arose.  Madame  Yamada  bit  her  lip 
until  the  blood  came.  Then  she  clapped 
her  hands  and  bade  the  maid  who  answered 
tell  the  eldest  daughter  of  the  house  to 
hasten  at  once  to  assist  the  most  exalted 
Matsuda  with  his  clogs.  The  latter,  how- 
ever, kicked  his  feet  into  his  own  sandals. 
When  the  maiden  appeared,  he  went  shuf- 
fling in  them  toward  the  door,  returning 
only  a  curt  nod  to  her  deep  and  graceful 
obeisance.  Madame  Yamada,  clasping  her 
hands  in  despair,  followed  him  to  the  door. 

Would  not  His  Excellency  wait  a  little 
while? 

No,  His  Excellency  would  not — that  is  to 
56 


THE    LOVE    OF    AZALEA 

say — yes,  His  Excellency  would;  for  just 
at  that  moment  His  Excellency,  casting  a 
keen  glance  about  him,  saw  a  little  figure 
sitting  on  the  door-step  in  the  garden  to 
the  rear  of  the  house. 

"Your  daughter,  I  perceive,"  he  said, 
indicating  Azalea,  "has  returned." 

The  angry  blood  buzzed  in  Madame 
.Yamada's  ears,  but  she  answered  calmly 
enough : 

"  Why,  yes,  it  is  true,  Excellency."  Then 
raising  her  voice,  she  called  to  the  girl: 
"Azalea!" 

Matsuda,  returning  to  the  interior  of  the 
house,  seated  himself  in  the  guest  room, 
lighted  his  pipe  and  drew  a  long  whiff. 
57 


THE    LOVE    OF    AZALEA 

Then  he  looked  at  Azalea  sitting  before  him 
pensively.  His  little  keen  eyes  going  from 
her  to  her  step-mother  and  catching  the 
glance  of  baffled  fury  bestowed  by  Madame 
Yamada  upon  her  daughter  Yuri,  he  allowed 
a  sound  which  was  oddly  like  a  chuckle  to 
escape  him.  Then  he  put  the  pipe  down 
and  again  regarded  the  maiden  Azalea.  He 
said: 

"  It  is  the  wish  of  your  step-mother  that 
I  address  you  personally." 

She  looked  at  him  with  eyes  of  inquiry. 
What  had  Matsuda  Isami  to  say  to  her? 
She  did  not  dream  that  a  man  as  old  as 
her  father,  and  one  who  was  so  exalted  in 
public  opinion,  would  deign  to  propose 
58 


THE    LOVE    OF    AZALEA 

marriage  with  her,  so  insignificant  and 
humble. 

"  I  wish  to  marry  you,"  said  Matsuda 
bluntly. 

Her  lips  parted  and  her  eyes  enlarged. 

"  Me?  "  she  said  faintly,  and  repeated  the 
little  word.  "Me?" 

"Yes,"  he  smiled.  "Marry  you,  Aza- 
lea." 

The  color  came  in  a  frightened  ebb  to 
her  face.  She  looked  at  her  mother  and 
sister  fearfully.  Their  faces  were  abso- 
lutely cold  and  impassive.  In  a  flash  she 
understood  her  step-mother's  attitude  of  a 
moment  since.  It  was  all  clearer  than 
daylight.  Azalea  arose  and  bowed  extrava- 
59 


THE    LOVE    OF    AZALEA 
gantly  down  to  the  very  mats.    Then,  with 
her  head  almost  at  Matsuda's  feet,  she  said : 

"The  humblest  one  is  altogether  too 
insignificant  and  small  to  become  the  wife 
of  so  exalted  a  personage." 

The  words  pleased  Matsuda.  Plainly 
this  girl  would  make  a  most  excellent  and 
humble  wife.  He  bent  graciously  and 
touched  her  head,  patting  it.  She  slippe4 
under  his  hand  to  her  knees,  and  then  to  a 
sitting  position.  But  her  head  was  still 
bent  far  over,  and  if  the  suitor  could  have 
seen  that  dimpling  face,  its  expression 
would  have  perplexed  him. 

He  seated  himself  opposite  to  her. 

"  The  marriage,"  he  said,  "can  be  speed- 
60 


THE    LOVE    OF    AZALEA 

ily  arranged.    I  do  not  like  delays  in  any 
of  my  affairs." 

Madame  Yamada  interposed,  desperately : 

"  Time  will  be  needed  to  make  her  mar- 
riage garments,  to  call  together  her  august 
relatives,  for  maidenly  meditation,  and  for 
preparation  for  the  marriage  feast." 

"  We  can  dispense  with  all  these  things," 
said  Matsuda  suavely. 

"Too  early  a  marriage  would  be  un- 
seemly," said  Madame  Yamada. 
'     "Madame  Yamada  exaggerates  public 
opinion,"  was  Matsuda's  response. 

The  woman's  voice  was  barely  controlled 
in  its  harshness. 

"You,  Azalea,  what  have  you  to  say?" 
61 


THE    LOVE    OF    AZALEA 

Azalea  opened  her  fan  and  looked  at  it 
thoughtfully,  almost  as  though  in  the 
painted  pictures  upon  it  she  found  an 
answer.  Suddenly  she  raised  her  head. 

"  I  do  not  wish  to  marry,"  she  said,  and 
added  as  an  afterword :  "  — yet." 

At  that  moment  her  step-mother  could 
have  embraced  her. 

Matsuda  cleared  his  throat. 

"  When,  then,  will  it  suit  you?  "  he  asked 
respectfully. 

The  girl's  eyes  were  still  upon  her  fan, 
and  without  raising  them  she  replied  with 
a  slight  shrug  of  her  small,  bewitching 
shoulders : 

"I  do  not  know  when.  Maybe  in  one 
62 


THE    LOVE    OF    AZALEA 
year;  maybe  in  ten.     I  do  not  wish  to 
marry — yet." 

Matsuda  arose. 

"For  one  year,"  he  said,  "or  for  ten 
years,  or  as  long  as  your  caprice  may  make 
it,  I  will  wait  for  you." 

Azalea's  fan  fluttered  closed.  She  bowed 
her  head  upon  it. 

"  Excellency  is  very  faithful." 

"  Once,"  said  Matsuda,  looking  at  her 
with  half  closed  eyes,  "  your  august  samu- 
rai father  deigned  to  call  me  '  Dog.'  You 
will  learn,  maiden,  that  I  shall  prove  my 
title  to  'Dog'  by  my  watchfulness  and 
faithfulness.  I  have  sworn  to  possess  you, 
and  possess  you  I  will." 
63 


THE    LOVE    OF    AZALEA 

The  moment  he  was  gone  Azalea  turned 
toward  her  step-mother,  upon  whose  coun- 
tenance a  look  of  sweetest  benevolence 
toward  her  step-daughter  was  slowly  ap- 
pearing. 

"  Mother-in-law,"  said  the  girl,  "  you 
need  not  fear  that  I  will  marry  him.  No, 
my  father  spoke  true  words.  He  is  a  dog. 
He  has  only  the  instincts  of  a  tradesman, 
and  as  such  he  comes  here  to  buy  the 
daughter  of  a  samurai." 

"  Your  words  are  wise,  Azalea,"  said  the 
step-mother,  "and  you  win  my  maternal 
affection.  Matsuda  is  not  the  fit  husband 
for  a  warrior's  daughter.  Yet,  Azalea,  bear 
in  mind  that  Yuri,  your  sister,  had  for 
64 


THE    LOVE    OF    AZALEA 

father  one  less  elevated  than  a  samurai — 
one,  indeed,  who  was  a  mere  tradesman. 
She  is  well  fitted  to  be  the  wife  of  Matsuda 
Isami.  Therefore,  you  can  help  or  hinder 
this  our  ambition." 

"  I  will  neither  help  nor  hinder,"  said 
Azalea,  crossing  the  room,  and  looking 
through  the  shoji.  "  Mother-in-law,  I  have 
no  interest  in  the  matter,"  she  added. 

Madame  Yamada  was  behind  her  and  had 

touched  her  arm,  the  arm  she  had  lately 
i 

pinched  so  viciously. 

"  Promise  to  be  steadfast  in  your  refusal 
of  Matsuda.    Promise  that,  Azalea,  and  you 
will  find  that    harshness  is  an  unknown 
quality  in  this  household." 
65 


THE    LOVE    OF    AZALEA 
"  Oh,  I  will  promise  that,  easily,"  said 
Azalea.    "  I  will  not  even  look  at  or  speak 
to  the  man.    Other  things  now  occupy  my 
insignificant  head." 


CHAPTER    V 

It  was  in  the  springtime,  when  the  little 
leaves  upon  the  trees  were  of  the  most 
entrancing  shade  of  green  and  the  wild  plum 
and  cherry  blossoms  blew  in  clouds  of  pink 
and  white,  making  an  impressionistic  pic- 
ture against  the  deep  blue  sky  so  lovely  and 
entrancing  that  even  such  a  serious-minded, 
earnest  worker  as  the  Rev.  Richard  Verley 
became  unconscious  of  the  sermon  he  had 
been  writing  and  smiled  out  at  the  land- 
scape. 

Nature  oftentimes,  from  her  very  beauty, 
distracts  one  from  the  work  of  composition, 
though  one  would  call    her  lovingly  an 
67 


THE    LOVE    OF    AZALEA 

inspiration.  How  could  the  young  mis- 
sionary continue  the  writing  of  his  sermon, 
when  the  alluring  breezes  of  the  spring 
softly  slipped  into  his  room  and  insistently 
drew  the  pencil  from  his  hand.  And  so  he 
sat  there  smiling  at  his  desk  and  dreaming. 
He  was  not  conscious  of  his  dreams.  He 
only  knew  the  world  seemed  very  good  and 
fair.  His  pen  trailed  over  the  paper  for  a 
space,  then  paused,  to  continue  again.  Idly^ 
and  unconsciously,  he  had  covered  a  sheet 
of  foolscap. 

The  slight  noise  of  the  opening  of  his, 

sliding  doors  caused  him  to  come  to  life 

with  a  guilty  start.    His  usually  pale  face 

was  flooded  with  color,  as  for  the  first  time 

68 


THE    LOVE    OF    AZALEA 

he  saw  what  he  had  written  on  the  page. 
He  turned  it  over  quickly,  though  he  did  not 
lay  this  last  sheet  among  the  previous  pages 
of  his  sermon. 

A  face  of  prodigious  fatness  was  thrust 
between  the  shoji. 

"  What  is  it,  Natsu?  "  asked  the  minister 
in  Japanese. 

"The  girl  Azalea,"  she  answered.  "I 
have  told  her  Your  Excellency  is  most  busy, 
but  she  still  stays." 

"  That  is  right,"  he  said  quietly.  "  I  am 
expecting  her." 

The  servant  pursed  her  lips  and  her 
round  cheeks  expanded  till  her  little  eyes 
69 


THE    LOVE    OF    AZALEA 

were  almost  hidden.  She  muttered  dis- 
contentedly: "Again,  Excellency?" 

"  Yes,"  he  said,  "  again.  What  are  you 
waiting  for? " 

She  shuffled  unwillingly  from  the  room, 
drawing  the  doors  behind  her.  Suddenly 
she  opened  them  again. 

"  Excellency,"  she  said,  "  she  is  not  truly 
convert— no!  That  is  a  lie!  " 

He  smiled.  The  maid's  jealousy  of  all 
his  parishioners  gave  him  amusement.  She 
was  envious  even  of  their  possible  con- 
version. 

"  That  will  do,  Natsu,"  he  said. '  "  Don't 
keep  our  visitor  waiting." 
70 


THE    LOVE    OF    AZALEA 

The  woman  muttered  ill-temperedly  as 
she  passed  along  the  hall. 

The  minister  waited  in  pleasing  antici- 
pation. He  had  not  expected  her  at  this 
hour.  She  came  usually  in  the  afternoon. 
He  remembered  with  what  fearful  shyness 
she  had  first  entered  his  house,  and  the 
tremulous,  almost  breathless,  fashion  in 
which  she  had  replied  to  his  questions.  He 
was  of  a  hopeful,  sanguine  disposition. 
Though  he  knew  that  his  small  congrega- 
tion consisted  of  those  induced  by  sen  to 
come  to  church,  those  who  came  from 
curiosity  and  others  still — young  boys  and 
girls — from  mischief  solely,  still  he  believed 
that  his  labor  would  bear  eventual  fruit,  and 
71 


THE  LOVE  OF  AZALEA 
lo,  at  last  a  convert !  She  was  very  young, 
somewhat  fragile  and  in  her  own  strange 
fashion  lovely.  From  the  first  he  had 
likened  her  to  a  timid  wild  bird.  Even  after 
she  had  entered  his  house,  she  had  turned 
backward  as  though  to  retreat;  then  as  his 
deep  serious  eyes  met  hers  she  spoke  as  if 
urged  by  some  impulse,  and  repeated  her 
faltering  words  in  English. 

"  Minister,  I  am  convert  unto  you !  " 
At  first  her  visits  had  been  irregular  and 
spasmodic.    She  would  come  as  far  as  the 
hill,  then  turn  back.    Again,  her  courage 
emboldened,  she  would  reach  his  garden 
gate,  there  to  linger  but  a  moment,  the 
antagonistic  face  of  the  minister's  servant 
72 


THE    LOVE    OF    AZALEA 

affrighting  her.  But  in  the  absence  of  the 
maid,  Azalea  would  daringly  pass  beyond 
the  gate.  A  few  moments  later  the  minis- 
ter would  meet  her  in  the  path  and  lead  her 
into  his  house. 

The  minister  hearing  the  light  glide  of 
her  little  feet  now  outside  the  doors,  has- 
tened to  slide  back  the  shoji. 

She  stood  upon  the  threshold,  her  eyes 
widened,  her  cheeks  glowing  with  the  trem- 
ulous excitement  that  always  assailed  her 
upon  the  occasion  of  these  visits.  He  held 
out  his  large  hand  in  silence,  and  she,  the 
color  fluttering  wildly  now  over  her  face, 
slowly  and  timidly  lifted  her  little  one  from 
the  folds  of  her  sleeve  and  put  it  into  his. 
73 


THE    LOVE    OF    AZALEA 

He  drew  her  towards  his  desk.  Still  hold- 
ing her  hand,  he  seated  himself  and  looked 
up  at  her,  without  speaking,  but  smiling 
very  tenderly.  Her  eyes  turned  from  his 
and  her  lips  trembled.  She  tried  to  with- 
draw her  hand,  but  he  held  it  firmly  and 
then  suddenly  enclosed  it  completely  with 
his  other  hand.  Fright  assailed  the  girl. 
She  slipped  to  the  floor,  her  head  dropping 
on  a  level  with  his  knees.  Then  Richard 
Verley  bent  and  spoke  to  her  in  his  strangely 
tender  voice,  which  somehow  always 
seemed  to  penetrate  and  still  her  beating 
little  heart. 

"  Azalea! "  He  spoke  her  name  so  softly. 
"Lift  your  face,  my  little  girl,"  he  said. 
74 


THE    LOVE    OF    AZALEA 
"  I  want  to  see  it,  while  I  tell  you  some- 
thing." 

She  obeyed  him  like  a  child,  but  the  eyes 
that  met  his  were  mutely  appealing. 

"  What  do  you  think  I  am  going  to  say 
to  you  to-day  ?  "  he  asked,  smiling  a  trifle. 

"About    those    honorable    command- 
ments?" 

He  shook  his  head. 

"  No — you  already  have  learned  them 
well,  have  you  not  ?  " 

"Yes.     You  like  hear  me  say  them, 
mebbe?" 

"Not  to-day.    I  wish  to  speak  to  you 
about  another  matter." 

She  looked  at  him  apprehensively. 
75 


THE    LOVE    OF    AZALEA 

"  Oh,"  she  said,  "  mebbe  your  august 
God  tell  you  I  also  visit  at  the  temple  that 
other  day?" 

He  looked  a  trifle  startled. 

"What  temple — what  do  you  mean?" 

"You  God  sees  all  things?" 

"  All  things,"  he  said  solemnly. 

Her  eyes  expressed  momentary  fright. 
She  drew  her  hands  forcibly  from  his  and 
sat  backward  a  little  way  from  him,  her 
head  bent. 

"Then,"  she  said,  "you  already  know 
about — about  my — my  lie  ?  " 

"Lie?" 

He  leaned  forward  in  his  chair. 

"Yaes — yaes — your  God  told  you." 
76 


THE    LOVE    OF    AZALEA 

"  Tell  me  what  you  mean." 

The  face  she  raised  was  pitiful. 

"  Excellency,  that  was  velly  wicked  lie  I 
tell  you  wen  I  say  I  am  convert  unto  you." 

He  stared  at  her  blankly.  She  could  not 
bear  the  expression  on  his  face  and  pushed 
herself  nearer  to  him  on  her  knees.  Her 
hands  fluttered  above  and  then  timidly 
touched  his. 

"  Excellency,  I  sawry— sawry— "  There 
was  a  sob  in  her  voice  now,  and  her  eyes 
were  misty.  "Pray  you  be  like  unto  the 
gods  and  forgive  that  lie." 

He  stood  up  mechanically,  then  sat  down 
again,  turning  in  his  seat  toward  the  desk 
and  resting  his  clasped  hands  there.  She, 
77 


THE    LOVE    OF    AZALEA 
from  her  kneeling  posture,  reached  up  to 
touch  his  arm. 

"  Pray — "  she  began  and  broke  off,  as 
though  she  could  not  finish.  He  turned 
his  head  and  looked  at  her  curiously.  Still 
he  did  not  speak. 

"  Listen,"  she  continued  in  her  low, 
almost  sighing,  voice,  which  he  no  longer 
wished  to  hear.  "  I  tell  you  only  one  lie — 
one  liddle  bit  lie.  Thas  not  velly  much. 
Also  I  beseech  the  gods  to  pardon  that  lie — 
and  I  beseech  also  your  mos'  kind  God 
pardon  me."  She  broke  off  distressfully — 
"  Excellency,  will  you  not  hear  me  ?  " 

"  I  am  listening,"  he  said  heavily. 

"  Your  voice  so  hard,"  she  said. 
78 


THE    LOVE    OF    AZALEA 

His  eyes  were  still  stern.  He  spoke 
mechanically. 

"  I  was  going  to  say  something — some- 
thing personal  to  you  to-day.  You  have 
shocked  me.  That  is  all.  But  I  want  to 
hear  what  you  have  to  say.  There  may 
be  extenuating — well,  tell  me  how  it  came 
about  that  you  pretended  conversion." 

"  I  wanted  moaney,"  she  said. 

She  saw  his  hands  clinch  and  shrank 
before  the  look  upon  his  face.  She  shook 
her  head  uncertainly. 

"  For  money !  "  he  repeated. 

"Yaes,    I    needed    some    velly   much. 
Gonji  say  you  pay  big  moaney  to  convert, 
and  so — and  so — I  became  convert." 
79 


THE    LOVE    OF    AZALEA 

The  minister  closed  his  eyes,  then  cov- 
ered them  spasmodically  with  his  hand. 
Sitting  back  in  his  seat  he  remained  with 
his  face  thus  half  shielded  while  she 
spoke  on. 

"  But,"  she  said,  "  you  din  not  give  me 
moaney;  no,  not  even  one  half  sen."  She 
laughed  a  little,  almost  joyously. 

"Ah,  I  am  so  glad  you  din  nod  give," 
she  said.  "I  doan  want  that  moaney. 
After  that  first  day  my  honorable  step- 
mother doan  be  unkind  no  more.  Also 
she  give  me  plenty  to  eat,  an'  new  dress, 
also  Matsuda  Isami  ask  me  marry  wis  him 
evelly  day  in  those  weeks." 

The  minister  uncovered  his  eyes  and 
80 


THE    LOVE    OF    AZALEA 

looked  at  her.  The  expression  of  his  face 
must  have  been  less  forbidding,  for  she 
moved  confidently  nearer  to  him. 

"  What  do  you  think  now?  "  she  asked. 

His  voice  was  husky. 

"  You  spoke  of  marrying  some  one." 

She  shook  her  head. 

"  No.  Some  one  want  marry  wiz  me. 
I  doan  desire.  But  sinz  he  want,  my 
honorable  mother-in-law  is  mos'  kind  unto 
me,  and  I  doan  starve  no  more.  There- 
fore I  doan  wan  no  moaney — be  convert 
now." 

"  Ah,  why  do  you  keep  up  the  pretense, 
then?" 

"  Pretense?  "  She  could  not  understand 
81 


THE    LOVE    OF    AZALEA 
the  word,  as  her  English  vocabulary  was 
limited  to  words  acquired  from  the  minis- 
ter's predecessor,  a  woman  missionary. 

"Why  do  you  still  pretend  to  be  a 
Christian  ?  Why  do  you  continue  to  come 
here  if  it  is  no  longer  necessary  for  you 
to  obtain  money? " 

"Because,"  said  Azalea,  smiling  up  at 
him,  "  I  want  do  so.  Also,  I  kinnod  stay 
away.  My  august  feet  bringing  me  back 
all  those  times." 

He  sighed.  Her  face  with  its  quickly 
changing  expressions  became  wistful. 

"  Excellency,  I  am  glad  thad  honorable 
God  telling  you  thad  about  those  moaneys. 
Perhaps  he  also  tell  you  that  I  want  be 
82 


THE    LOVE    OF    AZALEA 

convert  an'  doan'  want  no  moaney." 

He  wavered  toward  her  a  moment,  and 
then  turned  his  eyes  from  her.  He  had 
been  beguiled  too  long. 

"Mebbe  your  God  doan1  desire  me?— 
mebbe,"  she  said. 

He  did  not  answer.  To  recall  him  to 
her  she  touched  his  knee.  His  voice  was 
hoarse. 

"  Salvation  is  free  to  all,"  he  said  dully. 

She  laughed  almost  joyfully. 

"I  make  nudder  confession,"  she  said 
eagerly.  "Sometimes  I  'fraid  of  your 
God.  The  priest  tell  me  he  is  evil  spirit 
and  I  getting  skeered.  Well,  wen  I  come 
unto  your  house  I  know  that  your  God 
83 


THE    LOVE    OF    AZALEA 

gitting  hold  of  my  heart,  for  it  beating  so 
hard,  I  doan  know  wha's  matter  wis  me.  I 
doan  know  whether  I  lidder  bit  skeered  of 
your  honorable  God,  or — or — of  you 
augustness.  So  that  other  day  wen  you 
take  my  hand  this  away."  She  tried  to 
illustrate,  but  found  him  unresponsive, 
her  voice  toiled  forlornly.  "  I  so  'fraid  of 
tha's  influence  of  your  God.  I  run  so 
,$uick  from  your  house  I  kinnod  see,  and 
ihen  I  came  to  thad  temple  and  prostrate 
myself  before  Kwannon  and  beseech  her 
save  me  from  all  those  powers  of  evil  spirit. 
Then  I  go  home,  and  I  know  I  jusd  silly, 
foolish  girl.  Thad  God  you  tell  me  'bout 
Is  not  evil  spirit.  No — no!  You  say  nod, 
84 


THE    LOVE    OF    AZALEA 

an'  I  jus*  foolish,  skeered,  because,  mebbe 
jus*  because  I  am  thad  happy." 

"  Happy !    Why  were  you  happy  ?  " 

He  could  not  resist  the  expression  of  her 
eyes  and  almost  unconsciously  allowed  her 
hands  to  slip  back  into  his. 

"Because  you  so  kind  unto  me,"  she 
said ;  "  you  touching  my  hand  this  way — 
so  warm — so  nize !  Tha's  why  I  coon  nod 
speag.  Tha's  stop  my  heart." 

"  I  love  you !  "  he  said,  the  words  escap- 
ing his  lips  almost  without  his  volition. 
"  I  cannot  help  it.  That  was  what  I  wanted 
to  say  to  you  to-day." 

She  clung  to  his  hands.    Her  lips  parted 
The  color  was  wild  in  her  face. 
85 


THE    LOVE    OF    AZALEA 

"Oh,"  she  said,  "you  love  me!  Tha's 
a  most  beautifulest  thought,  Excellency. 
Mebbe  also  your  God  love  me — jus'  me — 
also?" 

He  drew  her  into  his  arms  and  held  her 
there  a  moment.  He  forgot  everything  else 
as  he  kissed  her  willing,  questioning  face 
and  little  hands.  Then  after  an  interval  : 

"What  does  it  matter — what  does  any- 
thing matter  now  ?  "  he  said.  "  I  love  you. 
I  know  that  you  love  me.  Your  eyes  do 
not  lie." 

When  he  released  her,  her  hands  fell 
limply  on  his  knees. 

"  No  one,"  she  said  breathlessly,  her  eyes 
shining,  "  aever  clasping  me  like  thad." 
86 


THE    LOVE    OF    AZALEA 

He  laughed  as  joyously  as  she  could. 
With  his  arm  about  her,  as  she  knelt  before 
him,  he  showed  her  the  sheet  of  paper 
covered  with  his  writing  of  her  name. 

"That,"  he  said,  almost  boyishly,  "is 
how  the  Rev.  Richard  Verley  wrote  his  ser- 
mon to-day  — •'  Azalea,  Azalea,  Azalea, 
Azalea— nothing  but  Azalea.'  " 

"Tha's  me!  I  am  Azalea!"  she  said. 
"  Oh,  tha's  so  nize  be  your  convert." 

He  laughed,  then  sighed. 

"You  will  be  that  in  time,  I  promise," 
he  said,  "  and  meanwhile,  well,  meanwhile, 
we  will  be  married." 

She  looked  up  at  him  with  frightened 
eyes. 

87 


THE    LOVE    OF    AZALEA 

"Married!  You  also  marry  me?"  she 
asked. 

"  Why,  yes,  of  course.  We  will  make 
a  little  trip  to  a  town  where  there's  another 
minister,  or  possibly  I  can  have  the  cere- 
mony here." 

"  Oh !  Pray  you  doan  make  other  con- 
verts. Please  doan." 

"Why?" 

"  Because  perhaps  you  also  marry  them 
— yaes?" 

He  laughed  again  and  kissed  the  tip  of 
her  little  pointed  chin.  There  was  a  be- 
witching dimple  in  it,  and  he  had  always 
desired  to  kiss  it. 

"When  you  are  my  wife,  you  will,  in 
88 


"  '  This  is  the  American  way,'  he  said,  boyishly,  and 
stooping,  kissed  her." 

(Page  90) 


THE    LOVE    OF    AZALEA 

time,  become  my  helper.    You,  too,  will 
make  converts." 

"You  gotter  git  consent  my  honorable 
mother-in-law,"  she  interrupted. 

His  face  fell. 

"Also,"  she  said,  "I  gotter  git  those 
marriage  garments,  and  you  must  buy  me 
lots  presents." 

"No,  I'll  marry  you  in  the  gown  you 
have  on." 

"This!"  She  touched  it  in  dismay. 
"  Why  thad  would  be  disgrace  upon  me." 

"  Very  well,  you  shall  be  disgraced  then. 
Now  come — we'll  go  to  your  step-mother 
right  away.  There's  no  time  to  be  lost." 

She  hesitated  as  they  reached  the  door. 
89 


THE    LOVE    OF    AZALEA 

"  Wait,"  she  said.  He  paused  with  the 
sliding  door  half  open. 

"You  bedder  not  come  also.  Let  me 
speag  to  her  alone.  Tha's  bedder.  If  she 
doan  consent,  then  I  skeer  her  and  say  I 
marry  wiz  Matsuda.  She  doan  wish  that. 
She  desire  him  for  Yuri." 

"  Oh,  I  see." 

"Ah-bah!"  (Good-bye!)  she  said,  pass- 
ing through  the  opening.  He  drew  hef 
back. 

*  "  Is  that  the  way  to  say  '  good-bye '  ?  " 
he  asked  reproachfully. 

She  was  puzzled. 

"This  is  the  American  way,"  he  said 
boyishly,  and  stooping,  kissed  her. 
90 


CHAPTER    VI 

She  ran  all  the  way  home.  She  wanted 
her  stepmother's  consent  as  quickly  as 
possible,  so  that  she  might  hasten  back  to 
the  minister. 

Her  breathless  words  astounded  Madame 
Yamada. 

"  That  barbarous,  beautiful  priest  wishes 
to  marry  me,"  she  announced  in  one 
breath. 

Madame  Yamada's  lips  fell  apart. 

"What  do  you  mean?"  she  inquired 
roughly. 

"That's  right— right!"  cried  the  girl, 
91 


THE    LOVE    OF    AZALEA 
clasping  her  hands  excitedly.    "  Oh,  i  am 
the  happiest  girl  in  all  Japan !  " 

Her  step-mother  extended  a  long  finger 
and  struck  it  at  the  girl's  breast. 

"What!  The  foreign  devil  wants  to 
marry  you  ? " 

Madame  Yamada  was  excited,  agitated, 
above  all  delighted.  The  gods  were  favor- 
ing her.  Here  was  a  solution  to  all  their 
difficulties. 

"  Breathe  not  a  word  to  anyone  of  this, 
my  daughter,"  she  said,  "  but  hasten  back 
with  the  speed  of  wings  to  the  house  of  the 
barbarian.  Bring  him  here,  and  we  will 
go  at  once  to  the  next  town  and  have  a 
92 


THE    LOVE    OF    AZALEA 

private  ceremony  there.  The  Nakoda 
Okido  must  not  suspect." 

Azalea  swung  her  sleeves  coquettishly. 

"  Oh,"  she  said  airily,  "  we  will  not  make 
Japanese  marriage,  step-mother."  She 
clasped  her  hands  behind  her  and  raised 
her  head  with  childish  dignity  and  pride. 

"  I  am  to  be  an  American  lady.  There- 
fore we  will  marry  in  American  fashion." 

"  How  is  that  ?  "  asked  Madame  Yamada, 
mystified. 

"  Oh,  you  don't  understand,"  said  Azalea 
pityingly,  "but  I  do.  He  told  me  once 
how  they  marry.  Just  pray,  bend  head 
like  this,  and  knees  like  this,  hold  hands 
tight — so,  mother-in-law;  and  then  the 
93 


THE    LOVE    OF    AZALEA 

priest  prays  on  top  of  the  heads  and  the 
bride  is  given  a  ring — big  and  shining — 
very  fine.  That's  the  way  they  marry." 

"They  do  not  exchange  the  marriage 
cup  ?  "  questioned  her  mother,  horrified. 

"  No — there  are  no  marriage  cups.  Also 
to  marry  that  foreign  way,  I  have  got  to 
be  Kirishitan. 

"  Ah-h !   I  see.    You  will  turn  convert  ?  " 

"  I  am  already.  I  wish  already  to  be 
so,"  said  the  girl  simply. 

An  idea  flashed  swiftly  across  the  mind 
of  Madame  Yamada— a  brilliant  idea. 

"Good!"  she  said.  "It  is  well  for  a 
maiden  to  be  of  the  same  religion  as  the 
man  she  marries.  But  do  not  let  it  be 
94 


THE    LOVE    OF    AZALEA 

known  till  the  ceremony  is  over.  Then 
throw  away  your  ancestral  tablets.  You 
will  have  no  further  use  for  them." 

Azalea  paled  a  trifle.  She  was  not  ignor- 
ant of  the  effect  of  such  an  action.  One 
who  renounces  the  tablets  of  his  ancestor 
she  knew  is  in  popular  opinion  forever 
lowered.  One  might  attend  the  church 
meetings  of  the  Kirishitans,  one  might  even 
affiliate  with  the  foreigners;  but  it  is  only 
when  one  has  openly  declared  oneself  for 
the  new  religion  and,  in  defiance  of  the  old, 
destroyed  the  sacred  symbols,  the  ancestral 
tablets,  that  one  becomes  an  outcast.  Yet 
it  was  necessary,  surely.  It  was  not  pos- 
sible without  hypocrisy  to  acknowledge  the 
95 


THE    LOVE    OF    AZALEA 

new  God,  and  still  in  secret  cherish  the 
tablets  of  the  old. 

Well,  what  were  the  tablets  to  her  now? 

Her  husband's  love,  the  new  God's 
strength,  would  stand  between  her  and 
shield  her  from  her  enemies.  Azalea 
smiled  bravely  at  her  step-mother. 

*<Yes,"  she  said,  "if  my  honorable  hus- 
band requires  it,  I  will  throw  away  the 
tablets." 

They  were  married  in  the  little  mission 
church  on  the  hill.  An  old  and  venerable 
missionary  officiated. 

The  church  was  quite  crowded,  for 
Madame  Yamada  had  spread  the  news  about 
the  town,  in  anticipation  of  its  effect  upon 
96 


THE    LOVE    OF    AZALEA 

the  community.  She  herself  wept  unceas- 
ingly throughout  the  ceremony,  never  once 
uncovering  her  shamed  face  buried  in  the 
sleeve  of  her  kimona.  Truly,  thought  her 
neighbors,  the  good  Madame  Yamada  was 
distressed  by  this  action  of  her  step- 
daughter. 

When,  after  it  was  all  over,  Azalea's 
friends  turned  their  heads  from  her  or 
looked  askance  at  her,  the  girl  simply  lifted 
her  eyes  to  her  husband.  The  look  of  wist- 
ful apprehension  that  a  moment  before  had 
clouded  them  vanished.  Her  face  became 
radiant.  She  clung  to  his  sleeve  like  a  child, 
proudly,  gaily.  But  when,  after  proceed- 
ing a  few  steps  in  the  direction  of  her  new 
97 


THE    LOVE    OF    AZALEA 

home,  she  realized  that  they  were  being 
followed,  a  feeling  of  recklessness  and 
defiance  assailed  her.  She  stopped  sud- 
denly and  dipped  her  hand  down  into  the 
long  sleeve  of  her  marriage  gown.  She 
hardly  looked  at  what  she  had  drawn  out, 
but  raising  her  hand  suddenly  she  threw 
the  tablets  in  the  direction  of  the  little 
river  in  the  valley  below.  The  noise  of 
their  fall  upon  the  rocks  frightened  her. 
She  covered  her  ears  with  her  hands  and 
stood  trembling  in  the  sunny  light.  Then 
she  became  conscious  of  the  fact  that  those 
who  had  followed  her  had  suddenly,  and  it 
seemed,  silently,  disappeared.  She  stood 
alone  with  the  man,  her  husband.  For  a 
98 


"She  threw  the  tablets  in  the  direction  of  the  little 
river  in  the  valley  below." 

(Page  98) 


THE  LOVE  OF  AZALEA 
moment  he  seemed  a  stranger.  That 
momentary  blind  impulse,  she  knew,  cut 
her  off  forever  from  her  kind.  Publicly 
she  had  insulted  her  ancestors.  She  had 
chosen  between  them  and  this  tall  white 
stranger  whom  she  scarcely  dared  to  look 
at  now.  The  silent  departure  of  those  who 
had  followed  her  told  more  eloquently  than 
any  outcry  could  have  done  the  resentment 
of  her  people. 

Azalea  looked  about  her  dazedly.  Sup- 
pose, after  all,  her  friends  spoke  truly? 
Suppose  this  new  God  was  in  reality  an 
evil  spirit?  Had  she  not  felt  its  subtle 
influence  upon  her?  When  in  memory 
could  she  recall  the  time  that  her  whole 
99 


THE  LOVE  OF  AZALEA 
being  had  thrilled  and  glowed  with  emo- 
tions and  feelings  so  strange  and  new  to 
her?  Was  it  not  the  influence  of  this  spirit 
which  had  forced  her  to  throw  away  the 
tablets— had  forced  her  to  marry  one  of 
its  priests? 

Her  husband  stood  looking  at  her  ten- 
derly, yearningly.  He  was  thinking  of  her 
future,  and  of  the  trusting  soul  that  had 
come  to  his  keeping. 

"  Well,  they  are  all  gone  now,"  he  said, 
"  and  what  was  that  you  threw  away  ?  " 

She    shook    her   head     piteously.    He 

waited  for  her  answer,  and  marvelled  that 

she,  who  had  gone  through  the  marriage 

ceremony  in  such  a  brave  and  happy  spirit, 

100 


THE    LOVE    OF    AZALEA 
w'as  now  so  white  and  trembling.    Surely, 
she  had  not  begun  to  fear  him  ?    Poor  little 
frightened  bride! 

"  I  din  nod  mean  to  throw  it  away,"  she 
said  brokenly.  "  I  coon  nod  help  me." 

"  Oh,  you  are  trembling  about  what  you 
threw  away?  Well,  let  me  go  after  it. 
Such  a  little  mite  of  a  hand  cannot  fling 
very  far." 

"No,  no,"  she  said,  catching  at  his 
sleeve,  "  do  not  touch  it.  The  gods  may 
punish  you  also." 

He  enclosed  her  hands  in  his,  and  looked 
at  her  very  seriously. 

"  You  must  not  talk  of  '  the  gods/  my 
101 


THE    LOVE    OF    AZALEA 
wife.    It  sounds  pagan,  and  I  am  going  to 
cure  you  of  the  habit." 

"Yes,  yes,"  she  said,  and  now  she  was 
almost  sobbing;  "pray  you  do  so,  ple-ase. 
I  am  most  ignorant  girl  in  all  the  whole 
woiT.  I  like  know  about  those  gods. 
Pray  tell  me  truth,  will  you  not  ?  " 

He  could  not  understand  the  meaning  of 
her  beseeching  voice.  How  could  he  sup- 
pose that  she  still  dreaded  the  thought  that 
he  was  a  priest  of  a  possible  evil  spirit? 
She  wanted  to  be  reassured.  He  only  saw 
that  she  was  very  white  and  trembling,  now 
that  the  ceremony  was  over,  a-nd  he  dimly 
realized  that  in  marrying  him  she  had 
sacrificed  much. 

102 


THE    LOVE    OF    AZALEA 

"  When  you  look  and  speak  like  that," 
he  said,  "  I  feel  as  if  I  had  done  some  brutal 
act.  Come,  be  my  happy,  joyful  sweet- 
heart again.  Why,  marriage  is  not  a 
tragedy;  not  when  there  is  love.  Now,, 
let  us  look  about  us  just  a  moment,  and 
then  we  will  go  home — to  our  own  home 
together.  Just  see  how  sunny  and  beauti- 
ful everything  is  hare.  Was  ever  a  sky 
more  lovely?  And  the  fields!  What  color 
can  we  call  them  ?  " 

His  arm  was  about  her  and  she  had 
recovered  somewhat  of  her  confidence. 

"It  is  a  purple  world,"  she  said,  "all 
purple  and  green  to-day,  Excellency." 

"Why,  yes,  it  does  seem  so,"  he  said. 
103 


THE    LOVE    OF    AZALEA 

"  The  skies  are  more  purple  than  blue,  and 
their  very  reflection  seems  to  rest  upon 
the  fields  to-day.  Just  look  down  there 
in  the  valley." 

"  It  is  the  purple  iris  and  wistaria,"  she 
said.  "  I  so  love  them,  Do  they  grow 
like  that  in  America  ?  " 

"  No,  unfortunately." 

"And  are  not  the  skies  purple  there?" 
she  asked. 

"  No-o.    That  is,  not  often." 

"Oh,"  she  said,  with  a  sudden,  unex- 
pected vehemence,  "  I  never  want  to  go  to 
that  America.  I  love  these  fields  so  purple 
and  so  green— and  those  skies!  Excellency, 
you  will  not  take  me  away,  will  you?  " 
104 


THE    LOVE    OF    AZALEA 

He  was  touched  to  the  heart  of  him. 
"  No,  no,"  he  said.    "  I  will  not.    I  will 
not." 


105 


CHAPTER    VII 

Azalea  had  been  married  during  a  brief 
absence  of  Matsuda  Isami  in  Tokyo.  He 
had  gone  there  especially  at  Madame 
Yamada's  suggestion,  to  purchase  city  gifts 
with  which  to  help  him  in  his  suit.  The 
townspeople  had  never  been  on  sufficiently 
familiar  terms  with  Matsuda  to  talk  with 
him  even  upon  his  return  from  an  absence. 
Hence  he  learned  nothing  of  the  marriage 
until  Madame  Yamada  herself  broke  the 
news  to  him.  She  appeared  to  be  suffering 
from  intense  mortification  and  anguish  of 
mind  because  of  what  she  termed  the  un- 
natural defiance  of  her  step-daughter,  who 
106 


THE    LOVE    OF    AZALEA 

had  married  a  barbarian  beast  against  all 
the  wishes  of  her  people.  As  if  this  shame 
were  not  sufficient,  she  had  turned 
Kirishitan  and  destroyed  the  tablets  of  her 
ancestors.  Madame  Yamada  daclared  ve- 
hemently that  though  she,  from  motives  of 
pity,  must  sometimes  see  the  abandoned 
girl,  yet  she  never  would  allow  her  pure 
and  virtuous  daughters  to  be  contaminated 
with  her  society. 

The  woman  had  not  foreseen  the  real 
effects  of  such  news  upon  Matsuda.  For 
a  moment  he  stood  as  if  turned  to  stone. 
Then  his  long  white  teeth  gleamed  out 
between  his  thick,  coarse  lips  like  the  tusks 
of  a  savage  animal.  In  his  eyes  there  was 
107 


THE  LOVE  OF  AZALEA 
unchained  rage.  Suddenly  he  laughed 
hideously.  That  laughter  alone  would 
have  unstrung  the  nerves  of  one  less  cow- 
ardly than  Madame  Yamada.  She  pros- 
trated herself  to  the  very  ground  and 
touched  his  feet  with  her  head. 

"  Most  Exalted,"  she  said,  "  the  humble 
one  craves  your  august  pardon  and  abjectly 
beseeches  you  to  perceive  her  distress. 
That  this  wretched  girl  has  abandoned  you 
for  a  vile  and  horrible  barbarian  is  not  the 
fault  of  the  humblest  one,  who  sought  with 
all  her  power  to  bring  about  her  union 
with  you." 

There  was  an  odd  quality  in  the  respond- 
ing voice  of  Matsuda. 
108 


THE    LOVE    OF    AZALEA 

"  Who  spoke  of  fault  ?  "  said  he.  "  Has 
my  mouth  uttered  blame  upon  you, 
Madame  Yamada  ? " 

Her  courage  returned  and  she  arose. 

"  I  should  have  known,"  she  said,  "  that 
Your  Excellency  is  too  noble  to  have 
blamed  the  unfortunate.  And  now  that 
you  have  deigned  to  pardon  me,  will  you 
not  permit  my  daughters  to  wait  upon 
you?" 

The  gray  face  of  Matsuda  had  resumed 
its  impassive  expression,  but  his  eyes  were 
almost  closed.  He  refused  Madame  Yam- 
ada's  invitation  with  a  gesture  and  without 
words.  When  she  did  not  attempt  to  press 
him,  he  moved  toward  the  door. 
109 


THE    LOVE    OF    AZALEA 

"  What  was  the  effect  of  this  marriage 
upon  the  community?"  he  asked,  turning 
to  the  woman. 

"They  were  righteously  insulted,  and 
pity  me." 

"Was  there  any  demonstration  when 
she  threw  away  the  tablets?  " 

"  Yes.  Her  friends  and  neighbors  turned 
from  her  as  if  she  were  evil,  as  she  has 
truly  become." 

"She  is,  then,  forsaken?" 

"  Punished,  Excellency.  She  believes 
herself  happy  at  present,  but  who  envies 
the  lot  of  an  outcast?  She  is  entirely 
friendless." 

110 


THE    LOVE    OF    AZALEA 
Matsuda's  eyes  turned  inward,  as  for  a 
space  he  meditated. 

"  Not  friendless  entirely,"  he  said,  finally, 
tapping  his  own  chest  significantly.    "  She 
still  has  Matsuda  Isami  for  friend." 
"You!"    repeated    Madame    Yamada 

faintly. 
ti  T  » 

"But,"  she  gasped,  "she  has  deceived 
you  more  than  anyone  else.  Exalted 
Matsuda,  she  has  forced  you  to  break  the 
oath  you  made  to  possess  her.  She  is 
married  forever  to  the  foreign  devil." 

"  It  is  news,"  said  Matsuda  coldly,  "  that 
the  foreign  devils  marry  Japanese  girls 
forever."  He  went  a  step  nearer  to  the 
111 


THE  LOVE  OF  AZALEA 
woman  and  brought  his  eyes  on  a  level 
with  hers.  "She  is  not  married  to  him, 
Madame  Yamada.  He  will  leave  her  soon 
— remember  my  words.  After  that — there 
is  time  then  for  the  fulfilment  of  my  oath." 
Madame  Yamada,  left  alone,  grew  re- 
pulsive in  aspect.  Her  powdered  face  was 
white  and  long  drawn.  She  had  thrust  her 
hands  mechanically  through  her  hair  and 
it  stood  up  from  her  head  in  stiff  disorder. 
In  the  hope  of  securing  Matsuda  for  her 
own  daughter  she  had  herself  assisted  in 
putting  the  girl  she  hated  beyond  her  reach. 
Now  she  realized  how  utterly  vain  was  this 
last  hope.  Her  very  action  but  brought 
upon  her  head  the  implacable  enmity  of 
112 


THE    LOVE    OF    AZALEA 

the  man  himself,  who  she  knew  was  not 
deceived  in  her.  The  gods  alone  knew  to 
what  extent  he  would  carry  his  malicious 
vengeance  upon  her. 


113 


CHAPTER    VIII 

Meanwhile  Matsuda  sent  the  articles  he 
had  purchased  in  Tokyo  as  marriage  gifts 
to  the  most  respected  and  honorable 
foreigner,  Mr.  Verley.  The  latter  was  actu- 
ally pleased  and  touched.  He  laughed  at 
Azalea's  first  impulse  of  fear  when  the 
presents  had  arrived  and  reminded  her  that 
these  were  the  only  wedding  gifts  they  had 
received.  She,  after  her  temporary  fear, 
fell  to  admiring  the  beauty  of  the  gifts.  By 
the  time  Matsuda  came  to  pay  his  personal 
respects  to  the  couple,  only  the  remotest 
suspicion  of  design  on  his  part  remained  in 
her  mind.  No  one  could  have  been  more 
114 


THE    LOVE    OF    AZALEA 

respectful  and  humble  in  attitude  than  the 
rich  Matsuda  to  the  foreign  minister,  no  one 
more  solicitous  for  their  comfort  and  happi- 
ness. The  little  mission  house  and  its 
pastor  found  a  sudden,  unexpected  patron, 
for  Sunday  after  Sunday  the  chief  man  of 
Sanyu  attended  the  services.  Matsuda  be- 
came a  "pillar  of  the  church."  First  he 
won  the  confidence  of  the  minister,  and 
later  made  the  acquaintance  of  other  and 
more  powerful  foreigners  in  the  larger 
cities  of  Japan. 

The  recall  of  the  missionary  came  like 

a  shock  in  the  midst  of  their  happiness. 

Azalea,   by  this  time,   had   learned   and 

seemingly  understood  the  religion  of  her 

115 


THE    LOVE    OF    AZALEA 

husband.  She  had  accepted  it  even  before 
she  understood  it  with  a  meek  faith  almost 
sublime.  Yet,  in  spite  of  her  seeming  con- 
version, and  her  almost  idolatrous  love  for 
her  husband,  there  had  curiously  enough 
remained  always  with  Azalea  that  small 
stubborn  feeling  of  terror  of  the  far-away 
"  land  of  the  barbarians  "  which  constituted 
the  home  of  her  husband.  All  the  joyful 
searching  with  her  husband  as  teacher  in 
the  books  of  his  people  had  failed  to  cure 
her  of  this  innate  sense  of  fear  of  the 
foreigner,  a  fear  inculcated  since  childhood, 
when  she  had  listened  to  the  weird  and 
horrible  tales  of  an  old  grandfather  who 
had  once  lived  in  one  of  the  open  ports  and 
116 


THE    LOVE    OF    AZALEA 

whose  imagination  was  livelier  than  his 
memory.  These  vivid  tales  of  horror, 
added  to  an  occasional  visit  to  the  town  of 
foreign  sailor  men,  whose  shore  conduct 
was  not  that  of  superior  beings,  and  the 
further  assurance  of  the  temple  priests  that 
these  barbarians  were  evil — all  these  im- 
pressions were  deeply  enough  implanted  in 
the  nature  of  Azalea,  who  had  never  wholly 
outgrown  her  child-nature.  Just  as  a  Cau- 
casian child  might  shrink  in  fear  at  the 
thought  of  suddenly  being  taken  from  his 
safe  little  cot  and  transplanted  among  the 
savage  tribes  of  Africa,  so  the  little  Japan- 
ese girl  dreaded  the  thought  of  life  in  the 
questionable  and  unknown  land  of  America. 
117 


THE    LOVE    OF    AZALEA 

And  now,  when  she  had  come  to  the  years 
of  womanhood,  a  thrill  of  that  early  fear 
still  remained  with  her.  Hence  when  her 
husband  told  her  of  his  recall  Azalea  was 
quite  stupefied. 

"  You  are  going  to  leave  me ! "  she 
gasped,  her  eyes  wide  with  terror. 

"Leave  you!"  he  repeated.  "Why, 
what  put  such  an  idea  as  that  into  your 
head?  You  are  going  with  me." 

She  shook  her  head. 

"  No,  no !    I  kinnod  go,"  she  said. 

"  Cannot !  What  a  word  to  use  to  me. 
Certainly  you  will  go." 

She  caught  at  his  hands  and  held  them 
spasmodically. 

118 


THE    LOVE    OF    AZALEA 

"  You  promise  me  on  that  day  you 
marry  wiz  me  that  you  never  goin'  take 
me  away  across  those  oceans.  Yes,  you 
promise." 

"  But  Azalea,  I  am  recalled.  I  must  go. 
Now,  be  reasonable.  These  people  who 
sent  for  me  are  my  employers." 

She  slipped  to  the  floor  and  sat  with  her 
hands  clasped  about  her  huddled  knees. 

"Velly  well,"  she  said  after  a  moment. 
"  You  go.  I  will  wait  here  for  you." 

He  sat  down  on  the  mat  beside  her  and 
put  his  arm  about  her. 

"  No,  no,  we  must  go  together." 

With  her  head  against  his  shoulder  she 
cried  hysterically. 

119 


THE    LOVE    OF    AZALEA 

"I  do  not  want  to  go— no,  I  do  not 
want !  "  she  kept  repeating. 

Thinking  her  eccentric  stubbornness  due 
to  he*  condition,  he  said  in  the  tenderest 
voice : 

"I  could  not  leave  you  alone  now. 
Why,  what  would  a  little  girl  like  you  do 
all  alone  with  a  wee  baby  and  no  husband 
to  care  for  both  of  you." 

She  struck  her  hands  passionately  to- 
gether. 

"  Tha's  why !  "  she  said.  "  Jus'  why  I 
doan  want  go.  I  am  'fraid  for  that  liddle 
bit  bebby." 

Argument  and  persuasion  seemed  useless 
at  this  time,  for  Azalea  could  neither  under- 
120 


THE    LOVE    OF    AZALEA 

stand  the  one,  nor  would  she  yield  to  the 
other.  Even  when  Richard  Verley  returned 
from  Tokyo,  where  he  had  found  money 
cabled  for  two  passages  by  his  missionary 
society,  Azalea  would  not  consider  the  jour- 
ney. A  less  conscientious  man  than  the, 
young  minister  would  have  used  the  price 
of  the  second  passage  in  providing  for  the 
comfort  of  his  wife,  during  his  absence,  but 
Verley  repelled  the  idea,  even  though  he 
knew  that  once  in  America  he  could  easily 
find  funds.  So  in  obedience  to  his  Massa- 
chusetts conscience,  Azalea's  share  of  the 
cabled  funds  was  sent  back. 
Then  it  was  that  Azalea  would  hysteric- 
121 


THE    LOVE    OF    AZALEA 
ally  consent  to  journey  with  her  husband, 
only  to  refuse  in  the  end. 

Verley's  recall  was  imperative.  Yet  at 
times  he  thought  of  refusing  to  return. 
His  many  gifts  and  benevolences  among 
the  people  had  eaten  away  the  last  instal- 
ment of  his  small  salary.  He  could  not 
leave  his  wife  supplied  with  funds  sufficient 
for  the  entire  period  of  her  illness;  yet  once 
in  America  he  would  be  able  to  send  small 
sums  regularly.  The  society  had  mentioned 
something  vaguely  of  a  desire  to  have  him 
lecture  in  the  United  States  and  after  that 
it  was  intimated  that  he  might  be  sent  to 
China.  In  any  event  he  would  return  for 
Azalea  after  the  birth  of  her  child. 
122 


THE    LOVE    OF    AZALEA 

All  these  confused  thoughts  and  reason- 
ings played  through  the  mind  and  con- 
science of  Verley.  Yet  so  finely  balanced 
were  the  moral  and  emotional  traits  of  this 
young  man  that  for  a  time  he  could  come 
to  no  decision.  He  prayed,  and  then  the 
precepts  of  his  religion  conquered.  Since 
Azalea  would  not  accompany  him,  he  must 
go  alone.  Parting  was  inevitable,  but 
absence  was  not  for  long. 

Once  again  he  sought  Azalea.  Failing  to 
move  her  by  the  most  passionate  entreaty, 
Verley  tried  to  make  her  see  his  reasons  for 
his  decision,  which  he  now  felt  more  than 
ever  must  be  final. 

123 


THE    LOVE    OF    AZALEA 

Azalea  looked  up  at  him  with  an  apa- 
thetic, yet  tender,  expression: 

"  Yaes,  yaes,"  she  said  wearily,  "  I  un- 
derstand. I  kinnod  go.  Your  God — yaes, 
my  God  also — he  calling  you — not  me. 
You  go!  I  stay!" 

Verley  now  mutely  enough  accepted  the 
cruelty  of  circumstances  and  sought  to 
cheer  the  drooping  spirits  of  his  wife.  She 
at  this  time  was  beset  by  feelings  of  the 
most  intense  depression,  induced  as  much 
by  her  frail  condition  of  health  as  her  child- 
ish terror  of  the  seas  which  lay  between 
and  separated  her  husband's  America  from 
her  Japan. 

During  the  last  weeks  of  his  stay  in 
124 


THE    LOVE    OF    AZALEA 

Japan,  Richard  Verley  spent  his  time  in 
attempts  to  earn  sufficient  money  so  that, 
at  least,  Azalea,  until  he  could  communi- 
cate with  her  from  America,  should  not 
want  for  anything.  He  wrote  articles  for 
a  Tokyo  weekly  paper.  Even  the  native 
journalists  of  Japan  dream  not  of  making 
a  living  at  this  profession,  unless  they  own 
an  interest  in  the  paper  to  which  they 
contribute.  The  amount  the  young  Amer- 
ican missionary  received  for  his  contribu- 
tions could  be  said  to  add  nothing  to  the 
meagre  sum  he  had  been  enabled  to  lay  by 
from  his  salary.  This,  he  calculated,  would 
keep  Azalea  in  comparative  comfort  for 
possibly  two  months.  He  sighed  as  he 
125 


THE    LOVE    OF    AZALEA 

thought  of  her  childish  ignorance  of  the 
value  of  money,  and  he  hardly  dared  to 
think  of  the  possibility  of  the  premature 
birth  of  his  child. 

But  upon  the  eve  of  his  going  fortune 
quite  suddenly  reversed  its  frowning  face. 
His  financial  worries  found  an  unexpected 
alleviation.  Matsuda  Isami,  the  friend  of 
his  church  and  a  professed  convert,  had 
come  to  him  and  offered  a  certain  sum  of 
money.  Of  course  the  American  had  pro- 
tested at  accepting  any  money  for  personal 
use  from  the  Japanese,  but  Matsuda  in- 
sisted that  he  knew  of  the  minister's  embar- 
rassment, and  being  himself  possessed  of 
much,  wished  to  share  at  least  a  small  part 
126 


THE    LOVE    OF    AZALEA 

of  it  with  his  friend.  He  felt  sure  Mr. 
Verley  would  sail  from  Japan  in  an  easier 
frame  of  mind  if  he  could  be  assured  that 
his  wife  was  well  protected  from  want. 
The  amount  offered  by  Matsuda  was  insig- 
nificant, but  seventy-five  yen  goes  far 
toward  living  in  Japan.  She  would  be 
independent  for  six  months  to  come,  at 
least.  And  while  the  minister  hesitated 
over  the  temptation,  the  wily  Matsuda  sug- 
gested that  if  the  minister  felt  any  back- 
wardness about  accepting  it  as  a  gift,  to  at 
least  accept  it  as  a  loan,  giving  Matsuda  a 
lien  upon  the  contents  of  his  house.  This 
need  only  be  perfunctory,  a  formal  salve  to 
his  pride,  for  Matsuda  was  confident  the 
127 


THE    LOVE    OF    AZALEA 

minister  would  pay  the  loan  in  no  time.  It 
is  needless  to  say  that  the  man  of  trade 
triumphed  over  the  man  of  dreams.  Richard 
Verley  mortgaged  the  furniture  of  his 
house,  without  explaining  this  part  to  his 
wife,  who  was  already  disheartened  at  his 
protracted  departure.  He  was  enabled  to 
put  into  her  hand,  the  day  before  he  sailed, 
a  sum  of  money  larger  than  she  had  ever 
seen  before. 

The  parting  was  heart-wrenching.  It 
took  place  in  the  little  house,  for  he  did 
not  wish  to  have  her  go  to  the  big  city  to 
see  the  actual  sailing  of  the  boat,  and  she 
at  the  last  moment  had  decided  against 
£oing  even  to  the  railroad  station  of  the 
128 


THE  LOVE  OF  AZALEA 
town  with  him.  She  wished,  she  said,  to 
see  him  leave  the  house,  just  as  if  he  were 
going  on  a  visit  in  the  neighborhood,  to  the 
church,  to  an  afflicted  beggar,  or  one  dying 
and  deserted.  He  told  her  she  was  the 
bravest  woman  in  the  world  because  she 
would  not  let  him  see  her  face  save  with  a 
smile  upon  the  lips.  Her  eyes  kept  back 
their  tears.  Only  at  the  last  moment  she 
clung  about  his  neck  and,  from  kissing  his 

face,  fell  to  kissing  his  breast,  his  arms  and 

i 

hands,  and  then  slipped  to  the  floor,  there 
to  kiss,  in  a  fashion  that  shocked  him,  his 
very  feet. 

When  he  was  gone  she  closed  every 
shoji  of  the  house  and  shut  herself  up  alone. 
129 


THE    LOVE    OF    AZALEA 

That  night  she  slept  underneath  his  desk  in 
the  little  study  where  he  had  worked,  his 
large  black  bible  the  pillow  for  her  head. 


130 


CHAPTER    IX 

When  the  fields  had  turned  from  purple 
to  gold  and  yellow,  and  Summer  was  hot 
in  the  land,  Azalea  for  the  first  time  in  two 
months  crept  from  her  chamber  and  sat 
at  the  door  of  the  cottage,  her  baby  on  her 
back.  She  had  been  very  ill  and  now  she 
was  as  thin  and  fragile  as  a  spirit.  Weak 
as  she  was  Azalea  had  come  to  the  door 
during  the  absence  of  Natsu,  to  watch  for 
the  mail  carrier.  During  her  long  illness, 
and  almost  from  the  first  day,  she  had  been 
wont  to  turn  her  face  always  toward  the 
Street  shoji,  there  to  watch  and  wait  with 
undying  patience  for  the  coming  of  that 
131 


THE    LOVE    OF    AZALEA 

carrier  who  should  bring  her  word  from 
her  husband.  But  every  day,  from  the 
rising  of  the  sun  to  its  setting,  she  waited 
in  hungry  vainness.  She  hindered  the 
progress  of  her  health  and  became  feverish, 
and  then  delirious.  Even  in  her  delirium 
she  would  seize  the  hands  of  the  hard-faced 
Natsu  and  pitifully  beseech  her  to  bring 
her  a  letter  from  her  husband.  Now  July 
had  come.  Spring  had  gone  and  the 
Spring  baby  had  come.  Still  no  word 
from  the  father  to  bless  and  cheer  them  in 
their  solitude.  Azalea  had  been  too  ill  in 
those  days  to  wonder  why  the  woman 
Matsu  attended  her  with  such  faithfulness. 
But  as  she  grew  stronger  she  used  to  watch 
132 


THE    LOVE    OF    AZALEA 

mutely  the  sullen-faced  servant,  moving 
about  her  chamber,  keeping  it  cleanly  and 
even  sweet  with  the  flowers  she  brought 
from  the  woods.  Azalea  would  have  wished 
to  be  on  friendly  terms  with  her,  but  when 
she  attempted  speech  with  her  Natsu  re- 
mained grimly  silent,  seldom  even  answer- 
ing the  timid  questions  of  her  mistress.  On 
this  day  when  Azalea,  by  clinging  with  her 
hands  to  the  dividing  walls  of  shoji,  had 
made  her  weak  way  to  the  door  step,  Natsu 
was  absent  from  the  house.  She  had  gone, 
to  the  house  of  Matsuda  Isami. 

The  sun  was  warm  and  very  good  to 
feel.    The  baby,  in  its  little  bag  on  her 
back,  was  no  heavier  a  weight  than  the 
133 


THE     LOVE    OF    AZALEA 

discarded  obi.  Azalea,  though  weak,  felt 
happier  and  more  restful  than  she  had  in 
days.  How  good  it  was  to  be  out  in  the 
open  air  once  more,  to  look  up  at  the  wide 
blue  sky,  the  abode  of  the  great  white  God; 
to  feel  the  touch  of  the  soft  breezes  and  to 
hear  the  little  babbling  noise  of  the  moving 
trees,  the  wee  creatures  in  the  grass  and  the 
singing  of  the  birds  in  the  camphor  trees. 

With  chin  resting  upon  her  hands  she 
sat  there,  absently  dreaming.  Her  position 
brought  the  sleeping  baby's  head  close 
against  her  neck.  The  warmth  of  its  con- 
tact comforted  and  thrilled  her,  just  as  the 
touch  of  the  child's  father  had  done.  Ah, 
it  was  true  she  had  waited  long  for  word 
134 


THE  LOVE  OF  AZALEA 
from  him,  but  he  would  not  fail  them! 
That  small,  soft  head  pressed  at  her  neck 
seemed  to  reassure  her  of  this.  She  would 
grow  strong  again,  strong  and  happy  as 
she  had  been.  To  Matsuda  she  gave  no 
thought.  The  one  God  was  good  and  he 
would  not  permit  this  evil  one  to  intrude 
again  upon  her. 

Some  one  spoke  her  name,  and  she  lifted 
her  head.  Before  her,  in  the  path,  stood 
the  bowing  Okido.  Mechanically,  and 
without  speaking,  she  returned  his  saluta- 
tion. She  was  too  weak  and  listless  to  feel 
interest  in  his  unexpected  call  upon  her, 
and  did  not  question  him. 

Madame  Azalea  was  recovered  ? 
135 


THE    LOVE    OF    AZALEA 

She  nodded  listlessly. 

"Good!" 

He  shuffled  his  feet,  waiting  for  an  invi- 
tation to  enter  the  house.  The  indifferent 
silence  of  the  girl  was  not  encouraging,  and 
the  Summer  sun  was  very  hot  and  un- 
comfortable upon  his  back.  However,  he 
was  not  to  be  conquered  by  a  woman's 
unnatural  silence  and  the  heat  of  the  Lord 
of  Day. 

"  I  perceive,  Madame  Azalea,"  he  con- 
tinued, "  that  the  gods  have  been  good  to 
you.  You  have  a  child." 

She  smiled  faintly. 

"  Yes,"  she  said,  and  for  the  first  time 
he  perceived  the  faintness  and  weariness 
136 


THE    LOVE    OF    AZALEA 

of   her   voice.    He   inquired   with   some 
anxiety : 

"You  are  still  ill?" 

She  shook  her  head. 

"  Quite  well,"  she  said,  "  but  when  one 
has  lain  long  upon  the  honorable  back,  then 
one's  speech  sometimes  becomes  ex- 
hausted." 

"Ah!" 

This  response,  he  took  it,  might  be  an 
intimation  that  she  was  not  strong  enough 
for  conversation.  On  the  other  hand,  it 
was  longer  than  her  previous  monosyllabic 
answers,  and  therefore  more  encouraging. 
Well,  he  would  speak  to  her  of  the  child. 
This  subject  must  surely  interest  her. 
137 


THE    LOVE    OF    AZALEA 

"Permit  me  to  inquire,"  he  continued, 
with  bland  interest,  "the  sex  of  your 
honorable  offspring  ?" 

"  Male,"  she  answered  simply. 

"Ah!  you  are  indeed  fortunate."  He 
went  a  step  nearer  to  her,  looking  solicit- 
ously at  the  child's  head.  The  projecting 
gable  above  mother  and  child  was  a  suffi- 
cient shade  for  the  upturned  face  of  the 
sleeping  child;  but  the  mother  must  be 
moved  from  her  apathetic  listlessness  in 
some  way.  So  the  Nakoda  exclaimed  in 
alarm : 

"Do  you  not  fear  the  sun  upon  your 
child's  young  eyes  will  blind  them  ? " 

His  words  had  the  desired  effect.  She 
138 


THE    LOVE    OF    AZALEA 

started  and  put  back  her  hands  behind  her 
head.  Then,  somewhat  unsteadily,  she 
arose. 

"  You  will  pardon  us,  if  you  please,"  she 
said.  "We  must  go  into  the  interior." 

Okido  had  hoped  to  be  invited  to  enter, 
but  her  answer  did  not  disconcert  him.  He 
went  up  the  little  steps,  and  stretched  out 
his  hand  as  if  to  assist  her.  Madame  was 
too  weak  to  walk  alone;  would  she  not 
permit  his  most  respectful  assistance  ?  She 
clung  for  support  to  the  front  of  the  sliding 
door. 

"Yes,"  she  said,  "I  am  still  augustly 
weak.  So  pray  you,  good-bye,  kind 
visitor." 

139 


THE    LOVE    OF    AZALEA 

He  bowed  deeply  to  her,  and  then : 

"Madame  Azalea,  permit  me  first  to 
leave  in  your  house  a  little  gift  for  your 
man  child." 

She  let  him  put  into  her  hands  a  child's 
tiny  toy. 

"  You  are  very  good,"  she  sakl. 

"It  is  not  I  who  am  so  well  disposed 
toward  your  child,"  he  said,  "but  one 
whose  interest  in  it  is  such  that  he  would 
give  all  his  possessions  to  it— if  you  would, 
permit  it." 

She  raised  her  face,  white  and  startled  in 
expression  now.  Her  hands  crept  out 
from  the  sleeves. 

140 


THE    LOVE    OF    AZALEA 

"Ah,"  she  said,  "  of  whom  do  you 
speak,  good  Okido?" 

He  did  not  answer  her  query,  and  her 
breath  came  excitedly. 

"  You  speak  of  my  husband  ?  You  have 
heard  from  him  ?  " 

"  Not  your  husband,  Madame  Azalea," 
he  said,  "  but  one  who  would  become  so." 

She  passed  her  hand  bewilderedly  over 
her  brow. 

"  I  do  not  understand,"  she  said. 

Her  strength  had  been  already  too  much 
taxed.  She  turned  from  the  Nakoda  and 
opened  the  shoji  behind  her.  Then  noise- 
lessly she  slipped  into  her  chamber,  feeling 
her  way  through  the  room  with  her  hands 
141 


THE    LOVE    OF    AZALEA 

outstretched  like  one  gone  blind.  When 
she  found  the  couch  she  tottered,  rather 
than  lay,  face  down  upon  it  in  that  instinct- 
ive fashion  of  the  Japanese  woman  to  pro- 
tect the  child  upon  her  back.  Soon  she 
slept  the  sleep  of  the  exhausted. 

Some  one  sent  fresh  flowers  in  the  early 
mornings  to  the  house  of  Azalea.  They 
were  sweet  always  with  the  sparkling  dews 
upon  them  and  they  filled  -the  house  with 
fragrance.  Azalea  delighted  in  them.  They 
were  symbolic  of  the  truth  that  there  was 
sweetness  in  life  in  spite  of  its  melancholy. 
And  so,  in  those  days,  she  would  sit  before 
the  flowers,  her  little  head  bent  above  her 
sewing,  and  would  attempt  to  fashion  the 
142 


**< 


THE    LOVE    OF    AZALEA 

garments  of  her  baby  in  imitation  of  the. 
flowers  themselves. 

The  baby  grew  in  strength  and  beauty, 
a  solemn-faced,  large-eyed  morsel  of  hu- 
manity, with  skin  like  a  peach  bloom  in 
color,  soft  and  fat  and  delightful  to  the 
touch  of  the  caressing  mother. 

If  it  had  not  been  for  that  ceaseless,  tire- 
less waiting  and  watching  for  the  promised 
letters  from  the  father  of  the  child,  and  of 
his  own  personal  absence  from  the  house, 
Azalea  might  have  found  complete  happi- 
ness in  her  child.  But  always  by  day  she 
sat  with  her  face  turned  toward  the  West, 
and  at  night  she  trimmed  and  burned  the 
light  and  set  it  at  the  West  shoji,  that  any 
143 


THE    LOVE    OF    AZALEA 

time  he  might  come  would  find  her  waiting. 
Often  the  man  Okido  would  loiter  by  her 
house  and  stop  a  moment  to  chat  with  her 
and  to  praise  the  child.  Sometimes  he 
brought  a  little  gift,  and  once  he  inquired 
very  solicitously  whether  Madame  Azalea 
was  in  need  of  money.  She  had  answered 
with  careless  pride: 

"  No,  I  have  sufficient  until  his  return." 

But  the  Nakoda's  question  nevertheless 

worried  her  after  his  departure.    She  went 

indoors  and  took  down  the  little  lacquer 

box  in  which  she  had  kept  the  money  left 

her  by  her  husband.    It  had  been  so  full 

in  the  beginning  that  she  had  laughed  over 

its  weight.     Now  the  box  was  light  as 

144 


THE    LOVE    OF    AZALEA 

though  empty.  There  were  only  a  few 
bits  left.  She  shivered  as  she  closed  the 
lid  over  them. 

"  Yet,"  she  said,  with  trembling  lip,  "  it 
is  not  all  gone.  He  will  come  when  but 
one  bit  remains." 

She  burned  more  oil  that  night  in  the 
waiting  room  for  him.  Through  the  night 
the  bright  red  light  twinkled  against  his 
coming.  But  he  came  not. 


145 


CHAPTER    X 

She  was  sewing  by  a  half-opened  shoji. 
The  garment  upon  which  Azalea  was  work- 
ing was  very  tiny.  It  seemed  almost 
ridiculous  to  conceive  of  the  amount  of 
labor  she  was  expending  upon  an  article 
so  trivial.  Nevertheless,  she  worked  un- 
ceasingly upon  it.  The  little  garment  was 
gorgeous  with  the  embroidery  wrought  by 
her  nimble  fingers,  embroidery  so  fine  and 
exquisite  that  even  a  connoisseur  in  Tokyo 
would  have  been  delighted  to  see  it.  From 
early  morning  till  the  darkening  night, 
Azalea  worked  upon  this  one  garment. 
Upon  it  she  had  expended  all  her  passion,* 
146 


THE    LOVE    OF    AZALEA 

her  love.  This  labor  was  a  balm,  a  salve, 
a  comfort  for  her  ever-aching  loneliness  of 
spirit,  for  it  was  the  garment  in  which  the 
child  was  to  be  dressed  when  his  father 
should  return. 

Azalea,  alone  in  the  little  cottage,  ostra- 
cised by  her  former  friends  and  without  the 
presence  of  her  husband,  found  a  nameless 
comfort  in  working  upon  the  garments  of 
her  baby.  She  said : 

,  "My  baby  came  in  Springtime.  If  it 
had  been  a  girl,  she  should  be  called  Sakura- 
san,  after  the  cherry  blossoms  that  he  so 
loved.  But  his  great  God  was  kinder.  He 
blessed  us  with  a  man-child,  and  it  shall 
bear  the  name  of  Sachi.  Now  I  shall 
147 


THE    LOVE    OF    AZALEA 

fashion  a  little  garment  which  shall  hold 
all  the  tints  of  the  Spring,  and,  like  my 
baby,  will  be  a  thing  of  joy." 

As  she  sat  on  this  day,  with  her  head 
bent  above  her  sewing,  she  became  con- 
scious of  the  fact  that  some  one  had  entered 
her  garden  and  was  looking  in  at  her.  But 
when  she  peered  out  through  her  shoji  she 
could  see  no  one.  •  Feeling  uneasy,  she 
folded  her  work  and,  leaving  it,  stepped  out 
into  the  garden.  Then  she  saw  at  once 
Matsuda  Isami.  He  had  evidently  been 
talking  to  the  maid  Natsu,  for  the  latter 
had  disappeared  into  her  kitchen.  Azalea 
went  forward  to  meet  the  visitor.  He  was 
very  cheerful,  though  at  first  constrained 
148 


THE  LOVE  OF  AZALEA 
by  her  sudden  appearance.  He  inquired 
solicitously  after  her  honorable  health  and 
insisted  that  she  was  pale  and  heavy-eyed 
from  too  much  sewing.  She  smiled 
faintly  as  she  shook  her  head  and  assured 
him  that  she  was  most  honorably  well. 

"  And  your  august  husband  ?    His  health 
also  is  good  ?  " 

"My  husband "  her  voice  faltered, 

but  she  finished  with  pride:     "Yes,  his 
health  is  good." 

"  Ah!  Then  you  have  heard  from  him?  " 

She   flushed.    Did   Matsuda   guess  the 

truth,  that  since  the  going  of  her  husband, 

nearly  two  months  before,  no  letter  from 

him  had  reached  her  hands?    She  did  not 

149 


THE    LOVE    OF    AZALEA 

answer  the  question  and  he  repeated  it. 

"  You  have  a  letter  from  your  honorable 
husband?" 

She  bowed  her  head  without  speaking. 
It  was  the  simplest  way  of  lying.  He  had 
taught  her  it  was  an  evil  thing  to  prevari- 
cate with  the  lips. 

Matsuda  appeared  somewhat  taken 
aback. 

"  And  when  do  you  expect  his  return  ?  " 

She  looked  away  from  her  interlocutor. 
Her  eyes  were  wide  and  wistful. 

"  I  look  for  him  to  come  at  any  time — 

any  day— any  hour,"  she  said.    "  Always 

by  day  I  look  to  the  West  for  his  coming, 

and  all  night  long  I  burn  the  light;  with  its 

150 


THE    LOVE    OF    AZALEA 

flame  to  the  West.    He  is  always  ex- 
pected." 

"You  are  a  most  estimable  wife,"  said 
Matsuda  sneeringly.  "Yet  has  it  never 
occurred  to  you  that  your  faithfulness  is 
old-fashioned  and  fit  only  for  a  Japanese 
woman?  You,  the  wife  of  a  foreigner, 
should  not  entertain  such  feeling." 

"Is  not  faithfulness  esteemed  by  all 
nations?  "  she  asked  quickly. 

"  No.  The  Westerners  make  light  of  its 
qualities.  Have  you  not  heard  how  many 
of  these  foreigners  who  marry  in  Japan 
leave  their  wives  never  to  return  ?  " 

"  My  husband  is  different,"  she  said. 
151 


THE    LOVE    OF    AZALEA 

"  So  they  all  say— while  they  wait,"  said 
Matsuda. 

Half  unconsciously  her  hand  went  to  her 
heart.  She  looked  as  if  she  were  in  some 
sudden  pain  as  she  spoke. 

"You  do  not  understand.  He  was  a 
priest  of  the  great  God.  He  could  not  lie. 
Ah!  he  was  different  from  all  other  men." 

"  The  eyes  of  a  foolish  wife  are  blind," 
said  Matsuda.  "What  a  pity  that  yours 
could  not  sooner  perceive  the  baseness  of 
the  barbarian." 

"  Baseness,"  she  repeated.  "  I  do  not 
understand." 

"  You  think  your  husband  will  return  to 
you?" 

152 


THE    LOVE    OF   AZALEA 

"  I  am  sure  of  it." 

"  And  against  his  coming  you  embroider 
rich  garments  for  his  child." 

The  blood  rose  slowly  to  her  temples. 
Her  fingers  twitched  and  then  she  closed 
them  tightly. 

"Yes,"  she  said;  "it  is  true." 

Matsuda  laughed  harshly. 

"  Yet,"  said  he,  "  it  is  not  your  husband 
who  pays  for  these  garments  of  your 
child." 

She  stared  at  him  incredulously. 

"  You  are  insane  to  speak  so,"  she  finally 
said.  "  My  husband  gave  me  money  with 
which  to  purchase  the  articles  upon  which 
I  work." 

153 


THE    LOVE    OF    AZALEA 

He  bent  his  lean,  evil  face  to  hers. 

"  That  money  he  accepted  from  me,"  he 
said. 

She  shrunk  back  a  step. 

"  From  you !    I  do  not  believe  you." 

He  fumbled  in  the  bosom  of  his  gown. 

"  Behold  this,"  he  said,  shaking  before 
her  eyes  a  piece  of  paper.  "This  is  his 
receipt." 

She  pushed  the  paper  from  her. 

"  I  will  not  look  at  it,"  she  said. 

"You  are  afraid." 

"No!" 

She  seized  the  paper  and  read,  her  eyes 
dilating  with  horror  as  she- did  so.  It  was 
a  receipt  for  a  loan  of  75  yen.  Her  hand 
154 


THE    LOVE    OF    AZALEA 

fell  limply  to  her  side.  The  paper  flut- 
tered to  the  ground. 

What!  Was  the  money  of  this  Matsuda 
paying  for  the  sacred  garments  of  her 
child!  Ah,  how  terribly  blind  must  have 
been  her  husband  to  accept  help  from  such 
a  source.  Her  pride  scorched  her.  She 
suddenly  turned  and  walked  swiftly  into 
the  house.  In  a  moment,  however,  she  re- 
turned, a  lacquer  box  and  the  tiny  garment 
upon  which  she  had  worked  in  her  arms. 
She  set  the  box  at  Matsuda's  feet. 

"There,"  she  said,  "is  what  is  left  of 
your  evil  money.  Some  of  it  I  have  al- 
ready spent  upon  this  garment.  I  would 
not  let  it  touch  my  child.'*  She  tore  it 
155 


THE    LOVE    OF    AZALEA 

across  and  threw  the  pieces  upon  the  box. 

"  Go  now ! "  She  pointed  to  the  gate. 
"You  contaminate  his  august  home.  I 
have  always  hated  you,  Matsuda  Isami, 
now  more  than  ever.  My  father  spoke 
true  words.  You  are  a  dog !  " 

Laughing  softly,  he  stooped  and  lifted 
the  box,  then  slowly  counted  its  contents. 

"Seventy-five  yen,"  he  said,  "was  the 
amount  of  the  loan.  There  are  but  twenty- 
five  here." 

"My  husband's  letter  will  come  in  the 
next  foreign  mail,"  she  replied  proudly. 
"You  will  wait  until  then." 

He  changed  his  tone. 

"  Madame  Azalea,  it  is  well  known  that 
156 


THE    LOVE    OF    AZALEA 

you  are  deserted  by  the  barbarian.  No  one 
pities  you,  because  it  is  alleged  you  insulted 
your  ancestors  for  the  sake  of  this  beast. 
Now  you  have  become  an  outcast.  Even 
the  beggars  will  not  ask  you  for  charity. 
Yet  I — I,  Matsuda  Isami,  whom  you  have 
named  '  dog/  have  compassion  upon  you." 

He  paused  to  note  the  effect  of  his  words. 
She  was  staring  coldly  and  stonily  before 
her.  Her  thoughts  were  bitter.  Matsuda 
went  a  step  nearer  to  her. 

"You  do  not  believe  in  my  pity  for 
you  ?  "  he  asked. 

She  raised  her  head  proudly. 

"  I  do  not  need  it,"  she  said. 

"Hah!  Your  words  are  proud.  You 
157 


THE    LOVE    OF    AZALEA 
will  learn  soon  to  frame  your  lips  to  meeker 
words." 

She  turned  as  if  to  re-enter  the  house, 
but  he  sprang  lithely  before  her  and  stood 
in  her  path,  his  hideous  face  thrust  before 
the  range  of  her  vision. 

"  Listen  once  again.  You  have  come  to 
beggary,  Madame  Azalea,  for  in  my  sleeve 
this  minute  rests  the  last  of  your  yen. 
What  will  you  do  now?  " 

"Yes,  Matsuda  Isami,"  she  said,  "you 
hold  the  last  of  the  money,  but  there  are 
things  I  can  sell,  and  the  house  is  yet  mine. 
Let  me  pass." 

He  laughed  in  her  face  so  that  his  breath 
struck  her. 

158 


THE    LOVE    OF    AZALEA 

"  Every  article  within  the  house  belongs 
to  me — me ! "  he  said,  touching  his  breast 
with  his  fingers.  She  stared  at  him  with 
horrified  eyes.  Inside  the  house  the  wail 
of  her  baby,  awakened  from  its  sleep, 
floated  out  to  them,  and  the  sound  silenced 
both  for  a  moment.  Then  she  pushed  by 
him,  and  still  he  barred  her  passage. 

"  Where  would  you  go  ? "  he  taunted. 
She  slipped  desperately  under  his  arm  and 
snapped  the  shoji  between  them.  He 
could  have  pushed  it  aside  without  the 
smallest  difficulty,  but  he  stood  on  the 
steps  like  one  already  having  possession, 
and  laughed  softly  to  himself. 

159 


CHAPTER    XI 

He  heard  her  soothing  the  child  within 
and  the  sound  of  its  subdued  cries.  Finally, 
comforted,  it  must  have  slept,  for  there 
was  no  further  sound  within. 

Matsuda  pushed  open  the  shoji  door. 
The  house  and  furniture  were  his.  He 
would  enter  when  he  pleased. 

She  was  standing  behind  the  shoji,  as 
though  awaiting  his  coming.  Her  baby 
was  strapped  to  her  back  and  she  held 
something  clasped  close  to  her  heart.  It 
was  a  large  black  book.  Matsuda  recog- 
nized it.  She  spoke  in  unfaltering  accents. 

"  Pray  you  walk  in,  Matsuda  Isami.  The 
160 


THE    LOVE    OF    AZALEA 

furniture  is  waiting  to  be  taken.  Truly  an 
empty  house  will  be  of  more  comfort  than 
one  dressed  in  what  belongs  to  you." 

"  An  empty  house  ?  "  he  repeated.  "  But 
I  do  not  propose  to  empty  my  house.  The 
house,  too,  is  mine,  since  I  bought  it  within 
the  month." 

"  Ah,"  she  said,  "  I  suspected  as  much. 
Very  well,  take  also  the  house,  most  honor- 
able Matsuda  Isami.  We  will  leave  it  at 
once." 

He  followed  her  down  the  path  for  a 
space.  When  he  seized  her  sleeve,  she 
shook  it  from  his  grasp. 

"Do  not  make  claim  upon  us,  also, 
Matsuda  Isami,"  she  scornfully  mocked. 
161 


THE    LOVE    OF    AZALEA 
"  It  is  not  possible  you  purchased  us,  too?  " 

"  No,  but  I  shall  do  so,  Madame  Azalea." 

"  Oh,  no,  that  is  not  possible." 

Her  proud  and  stubborn  demeanor  caused 
him  to  change  his  tone. 

"  Listen,"  he  said.  "  By  the  law  you  are 
no  longer  the  wife  of  the  barbarian.  He 
has  deserted  you  and  hence  you  are  di- 
vorced. Become  wife  with  me.  My 
house  awaits  your  coming,  and  I  have 
sworn  to  possess  you." 

"  I  would  rather  wed  with  Death,"  was 
her  answer. 

He  turned  in  savage  exasperation  and 
ran  toward  the  house. .  She,  standing  still 
now,  watched  him  enter.    A  moment  later 
162 


"  '  My  house  awaits  your  coming,  and  I  have  sworn 
to  possess  you.' '" 

(Page  162) 


THE    LOVE    OF    AZALEA 

she  heard  his  hoarse  laughter  and  the  crash- 
ing of  articles  within.  Sick  despair  crept 
through  her  being,  freezing  her  faculties. 
She  could  not  move,  but  stood  like  one 
fascinated,  watching  the  trembling  of  the 
house  itself.  It  shivered,  swayed  and 
shook  from  side  to  side,  as  though  a  very 
tempest  were  sweeping  it  within.  Then 
suddenly  there  was  an  upheaval,  a  splinter- 
ing crash,  and  the  little  house  upon  the  hill 
was  a  mass  of  broken  debris.  Matsuda,  his 
passion  unsatisfied  with  the  destruction  of 
the  furniture,  had  seized  the  main  pole  of 
the  house — the  support  of  the  frail  struc- 
ture— and  had  shaken  it  with  such  violence 
that  the  house  itself  had  collapsed.  A 
163 


THE    LOVE    OF    AZALEA 

providence  which  seems  by  some  irony  of 
fate  to  watch  over  the  fortunes  of  the  evil, 
had  saved  the  man  himself  from  so  much 
as  a  scratch.  He  was  snorting  and  puffing 
like  a  bull  as  he  sped  down  the  hill  past  the 
trembling,  shrinking  Azalea. 

A  sound  escaped  her  lips.  It  could  not 
be  called  a  cry.  She  made  a  little  rush 
toward  the  fallen  house,  then  stopped  and 
covered  her  eyes  with  her  sleeves.  She 
was  homeless,  without  means,  and  upon 
her  back  her  warm,  sleeping  babe  hung 
heavy  and  helpless. 

Dazedly,  almost  blindly,  Azalea  made 
her  way  down  the  hill  slope,  across  the 
little  bridge  that  spanned  the  narrow  river 
164 


THE    LOVE    OF    AZALEA 

in  the  valley  below,  up  another  hill,  and 
on  through  the  fields.  She  had  come  to 
the  house  of  her  stepmother.  At  least  she 
had  never  been  denied  a  roof  there. 

Her  knock  was  timid  and  faint.  As 
though  expecting  her,  Madame  Yamada 
hastened  to  the  door.  Azalea  spoke  in  the 
weariest,  the  faintest  of  accents. 

"  Excellent  mother-in-law,  my  house  has 
fallen  and  I  am  without  money  and  very 
tired.  I  wish  to  come  into  my  father's 
house  a  little  while." 

Madame  Yamada  laughed  shrilly. 

"  The  doors  of  your  father's  house,"  she, 
said,  "  are  closed  to  the  one  who  has  dis- 
honored them." 

165 


THE    LOVE    OF    AZALEA 

Azalea  stood  in  silence.  Even  in  her 
misery,  her  pride  withheld  her  from  plead- 
ing. She  bowed  her  head  in  apathetic 
politeness. 

"  Say  no  more,  then,"  she  said.  "  We 
will  go  elsewhere." 

That  night  she  slept  under  the  open 
skies.  The  shadows  of  the  night  were  her 
only  covering,  and  the  soft,  mossy  grass 
her  mattress.  She  slept  well,  as  the  ex- 
hausted often  do,  and  felt  nor  knew  the 
discomfort  of  her  unusual  bed,  for  she  was 
close  to  the  ruin  of  her  home  that  had 
been,  and  near,  too,  to  the  little  mission 
house.  Her  last  thought  ere  she  slept  was 
a  vague  and  almost  childish  remembrance 
166 


cr* 


"  The  shadows  of  the  night  were  her  only  covering, 
aiki  the  soft,  mossy  grass  her  mattress ." 

(Page  156) 


THE    LOVE    OF    AZALEA 

of  an  argument  she  had  once  had  with  her 
husband.  She  had  protested  against  the 
locking  of  the  mission  house,  declaring  that 
locks  were  unknown  and  unneeded  in 
Japan.  He  had  insisted  that  thieves  might 
enter  the  place  and  despoil  the  little  church 
of  its  few  possessions.  Now  Azalea  thought 
with  a  strange  feeling  of  bitter  triumph  that 
she  had  proved  herself  right.  Oh,  if  the 
little  church  were  but  open,  what  a  haven 
of  refuge  it  would  prove  now  for  her  and 
for  their  child.  Who  had  better  right  to 
its  protection  than  the  wife  and  offspring 
of  the  priest  of  the  church? 


'167 


CHAPTER    XII 

The  Summer  slipped  by  on  sleepy  wings. 
Autumn's  mellow,  balmy  touch  was  upon 
the  land.  By  day  all  Nature  was  beautiful, 
but  at  night  the  starry  skies  were  cold  and 
chilling.  The  earth,  too,  lost  its  warmth 
and  shivered  as  if  in  anticipation  of  the 
coming  winter. 

On  a  certain  night  in  the  month  of  Octo- 
ber, a  woman,  with  a  baby  on  her  back, 
made  her  weary  way  through  the  village  of 
Sanyo.  One  could  see  even  in  the  dim 
light  that  she  was  haggard  and  hollow- 
eyed.  Her  small  hands,  which  ever  and 
anon  crept  nervously  toward  the  little  head 
168 


THE  LOVE  OF  AZALEA 
against  her  neck,  were  tragically  thin.  For 
almost  two  months  Azalea,  the  wife  of  the 
white  priest,  had  been  a  common  mendi- 
cant. She  had  wandered  about  from  place 
to  place,  seeking  at  first  employment  and 
later  reduced  to  the  begging  of  alms.  The 
small  inland  towns  of  Japan  have  few 
industries  offering  employment  to  women. 
Azalea  was  further  hampered  by  the  white 
child  she  bore  upon  her  back  and  the  igno- 
miny of  her  religion,  for  in  some  way  her 
history  had  followed  her  from  town  to 
town.  Neither  her  beauty  nor  her  youth 
were  of  avail  to  her  now  to  earn  the  pity 
of  those  who  feared  the  gods  too  much  to 
refuse  alms  to  a  beggar.  The  wife  of  the 
169 


THE  LOVE  OF  AZALEA 
foreign  devil  was  an  outcast  of  the  gods,  a 
pariah,  a  thing  accursed.  What  respectable 
Japanese  would  lend  aid  to  one  who  had 
wilfully  destroyed  the  tablets  of  her 
ancestors?  And  so  in  this  land  where 
beggars  oft-times  grow  fat  on  charity 
the  pariah  starved.  Sometimes  a  peas- 
ant or  farmer,  knowing  nothing  of  her 
history,  would  give  her  shelter  and 
food  at  night,  but  when  the  morning 
light  revealed  the  blue-eyed  babe  upon 
her  back,  they  turned  her  superstitiously 
away.  She  hardly  knew  whither  her  feet 
carried  her,  so  many,  many  had  been  the 
days  since  her  wanderings  began.  Only 
Nature  was  compassionate  in  that  the  sum- 
170 


THE    LOVE    OF    AZALEA 

mer  months  kept  her  at  least  from  the  chill 
of  exposure.  But  even  Nature  has  limits 
to  her  patience,  and  Autumn  had  come. 
During  the  first  few  weeks  of  her  wander- 
ings, the  baby  had  appeared  strong  and 
well.  The  out-door  life  in  the  country  but 
strengthened  its  little  frame.  The  starving 
of  the  mother  was  a  gradual  process,  some- 
thing which  at  first  did  not  affect  the  baby. 
But  as  the  days  and  weeks  went  by  and 
the  mother  grew  weaker,  the  contagion  of 
her  weariness  affected  the  babe.  He  be- 
came peevish  and  ailing.  The  round,  cun- 
ning, gurgling  baby,  to  whom  the  mother 
had  passionately  clung  as  though  for 
strength,  grew  thin  and  cried  constantly. 
171 


THE    LOVE    OF    AZALEA 
Its  little  face  fell  into  the  odd  lines  of  one 
aged,  thin,  pinched  and  anxious;  for  what 
nourishment  is  there  in  the  breast  of  a 
starving  woman  ? 

After  a  night  of  vain  effort  to  keep  the 
baby  warm  in  her  arms  in  the  open  country, 
Azalea  turned  frantically  back  toward  her 
native  village. 

She  had  a  vague  notion  of  going  once 
more  to  the  home  of  her  step-mother,  this 
time  to  beg  with  her  head  at  the  august 
woman's  feet  for  shelter  and  charity.  When 
the  latter  had  turned  her  from  the  door, 
stubborn  pride  had  buoyed  the  girl  up  and 
given  her  that  almost  feverish  strength 
which  had  sustained  her  this  long.  Now 
172 


THE    LOVE    OF    AZALEA 

the  last  strain  of  pride  in  her  breast  was 
dead.  Hope  had  long  lingered,  hope  and 
faith  in  the  dimly  remembered  words  of 
the  white  God,  that  he  would  protect  her 
always — yet  now  even  hope  was  gone. 

And  thus  it  was,  then,  half  clad  and 
almost  starving,  that  Azalea  returned  to 
Sanyo.  It  was  night  and  the  streets  of 
the  town  were  almost  deserted.  But  the 
little  houses,  like  fairy  lanterns,  glowed  in 
the  darkness  with  light  and  warmth,  and 
as  she  passed  along  she  could  hear  the 
babble  and  soft,  happy  murmur  of  the 
contented  and  housed  families.  Her  hun- 
ger gripped  at  her  throat,  parching  it.  The 
baby  was  mercifully  silent,  but  its  weight 
173 


THE    LOVE    OF    AZALEA 

was  so  heavy  that  she  walked  unsteadily 
and  stooped  beneath  it. 

Who  would  have  recognized  in  this 
shadow  of  a  woman  the  exquisitely  lovely 
and  dainty  girl  who,  despite  her  shabby 
clothes,  had  bravely  held  her  head  so  high 
in  the  town  ?  Would  the  white  priest  him- 
self have  recognized  her?  She  had  ceased 
to  think  of  him  in  these  days.  She  had 
told  herself  that  he  had  been  but  a  beautiful 
spirit  whom  the  gods  had  sent  to  bless  her 
for  a  little  time  only.  Now  he  was  gone. 
Azalea  had  forgotten  the  language  he  had 
taught  her;  had  forgotten  the  God  he  had 
told  her  would  comfort.  Her  own  wan- 
derings and  the  cries  of  her  baby  had  occu- 
'174 


THE  LOVE  OF  AZALEA 
pied  her  mind  to  the  exclusion  of  all 
else.  Only  sometimes  when  she  slept  she 
dreamed  of  his  great,  tender  brown  eyes 
watching  over  and  guarding  her,  and  in 
her  sleep  she  sighed  his  name. 

Now  before  the  door  of  her  step-mother's 
home  she  stood  once  more.  Madame 
Yamada  came  and  looked  at  her.  With 

her  came  to  the  doorstep  her  two  daughters. 
Azalea  bent  so  low  and  humbly  that  with 
the  weight  upon  her  back  she  nigh  fell  to 
the  ground.  Her  voice  was  almost  too 
faint  to  hear. 

"  One  night  of  shelter,  good,  dear,  kind- 
est of  mothers—and  a  little  food! " 
175 


THE    LOVE    OF    AZALEA 

Madame  Yamada's  voice  was  as  hard  as 
her  face. 

"So  you  have  returned!"  she  said. 
"  You  are  without  shame,  it  seems.  This 
is  the  house  of  respectable  people.  The 
Kirishitan  cannot  enter." 

"  Kirishitan— Kirishitan !  "  Azalea  re- 
peated the  word  vaguely,  dazedly.  "  I  am 
not  Kirishitan,"  she  said.  "  The  gods " 

Madame  Yamada's  shrill  laugh  inter- 
rupted her. 

"What!  And  you  carry  the  evil  book 
in  the  front  of  your  obi !  " 

"That! "  Azalea  dragged  the  book  from 
Her  obi.    She  held  it  up  with  both  hands, 
176 


THE    LOVE    OF    AZALEA 

then  with  a  sudden,  wild  vehemence  dashed 
it  to  the  ground  and  put  her  foot  upon  it. 

"It  has  brought  me  evil.  Good  step- 
mother, I  have  cast  it  from  me.  Give  me 
shelter,"  and  she  stretched  her  hands  out 
in  piteous  appeal.  But  only  the  blank  wall 
of  shoji  faced  her  now.  Madame  Yamada 
and  her  daughters  had  closed  the  doors 
upon  her,  even  as  she  renounced  her  re- 
ligion. 

In  a  frenzy  she  beat  with  her  thin  hands 
upon  the  panelling,  and  her  moaning  voice 
reached  those  within. 

"  Oh,  hearts  of  stone,  take  then  the  child 
within.  It  is  dying!  dying!  " 

Her  step-mother  thrust  her  fist  through 
177 


THE    LOVE    OF    AZALEA 

the  paper  shoji.  One  baleful  eye  was 
placed  at  the  opening.  But  she  did  not 
speak. 

The  burst  of  passion  subsided.  Azalea's 
hands  fell  to  her  side;  she  slowly  stiffened 
and  straightened  herself.  She  stood  in 
giddy  hesitation  a  moment,  then  slowly 
moved  away. 

Through  half  the  length  of  the  night  she 
wandered  about  the  hill  country  and  town 
of  Sanyo.  Once  she  came  to  some  water 
and  its  murmuring  song  evoked  a  moment- 
ary response  in  her.  She  began  to  laugh  in 
a  soft,  mad  way  as  she  stepped  into  it; 
but  the  water  came  only  to  her  ankles  and 
the  baby  upon  her  back  moved  and  moaned 
178 


THE    LOVE    OF    AZALEA 

in  its  sleep.  Something  burned  within  her 
head.  Words,  words — words — spoken  in 
that  deep  voice  she  had  so  loved.  To  take 
life  was  an  evil  and  unpardonable  thing  in 
the  sight  of  the  One  God!  She  stepped 
upon  the  bank  of  the  brook  in  shivering 
terror.  Suddenly  she  ran  from  it  as  though 
from  a  great  temptation.  She  sped  on 
from  the  dark  allurement  of  the  country  to 
where  the  light  of  the  city  told  her  of  the 
warmth  and  happiness  of  others.  Through 
street  and  street  she  wandered,  her  feet 
dragging,  her  head  dropped  forward.  She 
lost  her  sandals  and  her  feet,  in  the  worn 
and  old  linen,  bled  from  the  touch  of  the 
pavement.  She  had  now  lost  all  sense  of 
179 


THE    LOVE    OF    AZALEA 

locality.  Only  she  knew  that  thrice  she 
paraded  one  particular  street — an  avenue 
shaded  by  dark,  drooping  bamboos,  under 
whose  shade  houses  of  exquisite  structure 
and  light  gleamed  out  upon  the  night. 

Azalea  stopped  before  one  of  them — the 
largest  of  all.  Her  hand  rested  heavily 
upon  the  bamboo  gate;  but  she  did  not 
attempt  to  push  it  open.  Now  she  stood 
still  with  a  nameless  quiet  and  terror  in  her 
heart.  Suddenly,  as  she  wavered,  the  babe 
upon  her  back  twisted  in  its  wrappings, 
and  wierdly,  piercingly  cried  aloud.  A 
moment  later  one  appeared  at  the  door  of 
the  house  with  a  lighted  andon  in  his  hand. 
He  came  with  hasty  steps  down  to  the 
180 


THE    LOVE    OF    AZALEA 
bamboo  gate,  and  there  in  the  dim  light  of 
the  lifted  andon  he  saw  the  woman  Azalea. 
He  seized  her  by  the  arm  and  drew  her  up 
the  path  and  into  the  house. 


'181 


CHAPTER    XIII 

For  nine  days  she  remained  in  the  house 
of  Matsuda  Isami.  He  put  her  into  the 
great  sleeping  chamber  above  the  ozashishi, 
removed  the  paper  shoji  from  the  house 
and  slid  into  its  place  the  winter  wooden 
sliding  walls  and  doors.  Thus  they  were 
.safe  from  spying  intruders,  and  she  might 
not  leave  the  house,  since  the  wooden  street 
doors  were  fast.  Outside  her  room  the 
woman  Natsu-san  remained.  Matsuda  him- 
self moved  into  the  ozashiki,  and  from 
there  he  kept  guard  over  the  woman  in  the 
chamber  above. 

When  first  the  serving-woman  Natsu-san 
182 


THE    LOVE    OF    AZALEA 

entered  the  chamber  to  serve  her,  she  found 
the  girl  crouched  off  in  the  farthest  corner 
of  the  room,  whither  she  had  crept  after 
Matsuda  Isami  had  set  her  in  the  room. 
She  was  numb  with  cold,  hunger  and  fear. 
Her  feverish  mind  could  not  follow  the 
tangled  sequence  of  events  that  had  passed 
over  her  that  night.  She  dimly  recalled 
that  sudden  flash  of  andon  light  at  the  end 
of  her  wanderings,  the  touch  of  arms  of 
seeming  supernatural  strength  which  had 
crushed  her  aching  body  as  they  carried 
her  up  and  into  this  room  of  fears.  The 
room  had  no  light  save  what  sifted  into  it 
from  a  takahiri  (lantern)  in  the  hall,  which 
the  servant  had  set  by  the  dividing  doors. 
183 


THE    LOVE    OF    AZALEA 

"I  have  brought  food,"  she  said  briefly, 
and  set  the  tray  on  the  floor  by  the  famished 
Azalea.  She  reached  out  a  trembling  hand 
and  cautiously,  fearfully  touched  and  felt 
of  the  food.  Reassured  of  what  she, 
touched,  her  hands  seized  upon  the  con- 
tents of  the  tray.  She  found  the  milk, 
warm  and  sweet,  and  in  a  moment  she  had 
slipped  the  child  out  of  its  bag,  laid  its  limp 
and  listless  little  body  at  her  feet  and  thrust 
the  nipple  of  the  bottle  between  the  tiny, 
parted  lips. 

Someone  in  the  night  put  a  slumber  robe 

upon  her.    Her  weakness  and  exhaustion 

gave  way.    She  slept.     But  in  the  early 

morning,  turning  in  her  sleep  instinctively 

184 


THE    LOVE    OF    AZALEA 

to  reach  out  for  her  child,  she  missed  it,  and 
started  with  a  cry  of  fright  and  anguish  that 
rang  out  wildly  through  the  silent  house. 

It  was  five  days  before  they  put  the  child 
back  into  her  arms.  At  the  end  of  that 
period  she  put  her  head  at  the  feet  of 
Matsuda  Isami,  swore  by  the  eight  million 
gods  of  heaven  that  she  was  his  humblest 
and  meekest  of  slaves,  and  promised  to  do 
whatsoever  he  should  command  if  he  would 
but  return  to  her  her  child.  After  that  she 
was  like  a  mechanical  puppet.  The  woman 
Natsu-san  dressed  her  in  softest  silken 
crepe,  loaded  down  her  little  fingers  with 
rich  jewels,  and  drew  the  hair,  fallen  so 
wildly  about  her  face,  back  into  smooth 
185 


THE    LOVE    OF    AZALEA 

mode.  She  moved  about  like  one  in  a 
dream,  a  nightmare  from  which  she  could 
not  wake  nor  extricate  her.  She  was  but 
a  passive  doll  in  the  hands  of  the  woman, 
and  did  not  even  move  her  hands  to  assist 
the  servant  in  attiring  her.  But  when  they 
brought  the  child,  she  rushed  upon  the 
woman,  seized  it  with  savage  force  from 
her  arms,  and  then  fell  to  weeping  over  it 
in  such  a  way  that  the  one  she  was  here- 
after to  name  "masteY"  feared  for  her 
reason,  and  left  her  for  the  nonce  alone. 
Thus  a  respite  of  a  few  days  was  given  her. 
Physical  strength  crept  back  into  her 
wasted  body,  bringing  health,  too,  to  her 
bewildered  mind.  Memory — burning,  in- 
186 


THE    LOVE    OF    AZALEA 

vincible,  accusing — awoke,  told  her  that 
she  was  about  to  become  a  thing  more  out- 
cast than  ever,  because  she  would  be  guilty 
of  that  sin  the  most  unpardonable  of  any  a 
woman  of  his  (her  husband's)  people  could 
commit.  She  could  not  delude  herself  with 
the  fancy  that  she  would  be  the  wife  of 
Matsuda  Isami,  whatever  the  law  might  be, 
for  she  had  pledged  an  eternal  faith  to  her 
true  husband  and  the  child  was  the  connect- 
ing link  between  them."  Now  as  from  day 
to  day  she  waited  in  fear  for  the  time  to 
come  when  Matsuda  Isami  should  claim 
her  promise,  a  promise  she  dared  not  break 
if  she  would  keep  her  child,  there  flooded 
back  upon  her  the  teachings  of  her  husband. 
187 


THE  LOVE  OF  AZALEA 
Now  at  last  she  knew  she  believed  in 
the  faith  of  the  Kirishitan.  and  before  that 
faith  she  stood  convicted.  She  did  not  at- 
tempt to  justify  her  actions  by  her  suffer- 
ings. There  was  no  justification  in  the 
creed  of  his  religion.  His  last  words  to 
her  had  been :  "  Have  faith  always.  Be 
true  to  me,  my  love,  and  to  yourself.  I 
will  return."  Yet  how  had  he  kept  his 
word  to  her.  There  had  not  come  to  her 
one  word  or  sign  since  his  departure.  If 
he  had  sent  word  to  her  the  great  waters 
that  divided  them  must  have  swallowed 
it  up.  There  was  nothing  left  to  her  now 
save  the  child,  and  for  his  sake  she  would 

sell  herself  and  become  wife  to  Matsuda 
Isami. 

188 


CHAPTER    XIV 

Patience  is  not  always  an  enduring  virtue. 
That  of  Richard  Verley  had  long  since 
evaporated.  Waiting,  with  a  faith  excelled 
only  by  that  of  the  one  in  Japan,  for  word 
from  his  wife,  his  stay  in  America  had 
become  unbearable. 

At  first  he  had  thought  her  failure  to 
answer  his  letters  due  to  mistakes  she 
might  make  in  addressing  him.  He  re- 
called how,  when  teaching  her  to  write  his 
address,  she  had  continually  forgotten  to 
put  the  name  of  the  city  or  State.  She 
was  quite  sure  that  everyone  in  the  United 
States  must  know  him.  But  as  time 
189 


THE    LOVE    OF    AZALEA 

passed,  he  knew  this  could  not  be  the  rea- 
son. His  letters  urging  her  to  answer  at 
.once,  and  giving  explicit  instructions  as  to 
address,  received  no  response.  He  thought 
of  her  condition  and  became  alarmed. 

When  finally,  refusing  to  wait  longer, 
and  leaving  his  duties  unfinished,  he  took 
ship  for  Japan,  he  was  in  an  agony  of  be- 
wilderment and  apprehension.  If  anything 
had  happened  to  her!  Illness,  the  possible 
premature  birth  of  the  child,  when  she 
would  be  too  helpless  and  ill  to  write.  How 
foolish  he  had  been  not  to  have  arranged 
communication  with  her  through  a  third 
party.  And  yet,  who  could  he  have  called 
upon  for  such  a  service?  He  thought  of 
190 


THE    LOVE    OF    AZALEA 

her  outcast  position  since  becoming  his 
wife;  of  the  eccentric  and  stubborn  fears 
that  had  impelled  her  to  remain  in  Japan. 
And  then  an  overwhelming  sense  of  regret 
overpowered  him,  that  he  had  left  her  at 
all.  His  place  was  by  her  side.  His  first 
duty  belonged  to  her!  There  had  been  a 
flaw  in  his  former  reasoning.  His  service 
to  the  Master  could  have  been  better  sub- 
served than  the  way  he  had  chosen. 

So,  with  his  mind  sick  with  gloomy  fore- 
bodings, his  conscience  and  heart  aching, 
Richard  Verley  returned  to  Japan.  He 
hurried  from  Tjipkyo  in  a  fever  of  impatience 
to  the  little  town  of  Sanyo.  The  journey 
was  interminable— intolerable!  For  the 
191 


THE  LOVE  OF  AZALEA 
first  time  in  his  life  the  gentle-natured 
Richard  Verley  fretted  and  upbraided  those 
who  served  him.  The  runners  crept! 
Their  vehicles  were  ancient  and  broken 
down.  The  conductors  of  the  miserable 
trains  were  responsible  for  the  creeping  of 
fhe  train.  Some  one  was  responsible! 
Everything  was  wrong!  Most  of  his  jour- 
ney, besides,  was  made  by  the  slow  method 
of  kurumma.  Sometimes,  unable  to  bear 
it,  he  would  get  out  from  the  kurumma  and 
plunge  ahead  himself  on  foot.  Every  step, 
every  moment  that  brought  him  nearer  to 
her,  but  added  to  his  sick  premonitions. 
All  was  not  well  with  her!  Something 
192 


THE    LOVE    OF    AZALEA 

dire  had  overtaken  her.    He  dared  not 

N 
imagine  what  that  might  be. 

When  he  touched  Jhe  town  at  last,  he 

• 
did  not  wait  a  minute,  but  without  noticing 

the  townspeople,  who  regarded  him  curi- 
ously, he  hastened  on  toward  where  had 
stood  his  home. 

The  sight  that  met  him  when  he 
reached  the  place  staggered  him.  He 
looked  about  him  dazed,  as  one  who  sees 
with  unseeing  eyes.  He  could  not  under- 
stand. Something  was  wrong  with  his 
sight — his  head,  he  told  himself.  Where 
once  had  stood  the  little  flower-embowered 
home,  there  was  nothing  but  a  heap  of 
193 


THE    LOVE    OF    AZALEA 

broken  planks  and  debris,  the  melancholy 
debris  of  a  fallen  house. 

Snow  was  falling  slowly  and  turning  to 
water  as  it  fell.  The  trees  were  leafless. 
Where  the  sunny,  flowering  bushes  had 
stood  about  the  tiny  cottage,  there  were 
only  the  black  stalks  standing  up  in  barren 
nakedness.  Desolation  and  tragedy  seemed 
heavy  everywhere.  He  blundered  forward 
a  few  steps,  his  hand  to  his  eyes. 

"A  mistake  somewhere,"  he  muttered, 
"I  have  lost  my  way.  This  is  not  the 
place — this  is  not — and  yet !  " 

He  uncovered  his  eyes  and  again  cast 
them  about,  slowly.  The  surroundings 
were  as  familiar  to  him  as  the  face  of  a 
194 


THE    LOVE    OF   AZALEA 

mother,  and  over  there,  the  length  of  an 
iris  field  away,  there  was  the  church — his 
church!  He  turned  in  its  direction. 

At  the  church  door  he  fumbled  with  key 
to  the  lock.  It  turned  easily  enough,  but 
when  he  pushed  the  door  inward  it  did  not 
move.  Then  he  discovered  the  reason. 
The  door  was  nailed  to.  Panic  and  frenzy 
swept  over  him  in  a  flood.  He  began 
frantically  pounding  upon  the  door,  shaking 
it  by  the  handle,  pushing  against  it  with  his 
shoulder,  beating  upon  its  panelling  with 
his  fists,  and  tearing  at  the  hinges  with  his 
fingers.  The  blood  was  in  his  head.  He 
could  neither  see  nor  hear.  Only  that 
sensation  of  horrible  foreboding  and  cer- 
195 


THE    LOVE    OF    AZALEA 

tainty  of  disaster  pervaded  his  whole  being. 

A  temple  bell  began  to  tinkle,  lazily, 
insistently.  Small  black  birds,  cawing  as 
they  flew,  swept  close  over  his  head,  has- 
tening toward  their  night  home  in  the 
woods.  The  rain  descended  heavily,  noise- 
lessly. The  shadows  darkened  dully. 

"What  am  I  doing? "  the  minister  sud- 
denly asked  himself,  and  paused  in  his 
efforts  to  break  the  church  door.  "  She  is 
not  here!  My  fears  are  driving  me  mad. 
How  do  I  know  that  harm  has  come  to 
her?  I  must  not  trust  to  the  phantoms  of 
my  imagination.  God  is  good,  good ! " 
He  walked  out  a  few  paces,  thinking 
dazedly.  Then  with  a  sudden  resolution  to 
196 


THE    LOVE    OF    AZALEA 

seek  her  in  the  village,  he  began  to  descend 
the  hill.  His  step  was  more  hopeful.  He 
tried  to  keep  up  his  courage,  but  as  he 
made  his  way  along  his  lips  moved  cease- 
lessly in  prayer. 

He  went  first  of  all  to  her  step-mother's 
house.  Here  in  the  miserable,  drizzling 
rain  he  stood  outside  the  house,  none  bid- 
ding him  enter  in  response  to  his  knock. 
Yet  all  through  the  house  he  could  hear 
the  sounds  of  his  coming  announced. 

A  woman  shrieked  his  name.  Some  one 
called  back  in  a  loud  whisper  which  pene- 
trated through  the  paper  shoji  walls: 

"TheKirishitan!" 

Then  he  heard  the  pattering  of  hurried 
197 


THE    LOVE   OF   AZALEA 

steps  and  the  jabbering  of  voices.  Soon 
he  was  conscious  of  the  fact  that  eyes  were 
regarding  him  from  a  dozen  of  wall  holes. 
He  knocked  again,  louder,  and  one  within, 
unseen,  called  in  insolent  tone: 

"Begone!  The  curses  of  Shaka  upon 
you!" 

He  told  himself  his  ears  deceived  him. 
His  knowledge  of  Japanese  confused  the 
language  surely.  He  knocked  again,  and, 
again,  each  time  louder.  Again  the  voice 
within: 

"Who  is  it  knocks?" 

He  spoke  distinctly  in  pure  Japanese. 

"  I  am  Verley-sama,  your  daughter's  hus- 
band.   I  have  come  to  seek  my  wife." 
198 


THE    LOVE    OF    AZALEA 

There  was  silence,  and  then: 

"  We  do  not  understand  your  language." 

He  repeated  his  words  slowly,  patiently, 
enunciating  each  Japanese  syllable  dis- 
tinctly. But  again  came  the  reply: 

"We  do  not  understand." 

He  recognized  now  the  voice.  It  was 
that  of  the  step-mother  of  his  wife,  Madame 
Yamada.  She  had  some  reason  for  her  lies. 
He  was  positive  she  understood  his  Japan- 
ese. 

"  My  words  are  plain,"  he  said.  "  I  have 
come  to  seek  my  wife." 

"  She  is  not  here."  The  voice  was  raised 
angrily  now.  "Seek  elsewhere,  foreign 
devil!" 

199 


THE    LOVE    OF    AZALEA 

He  ignored  the  insult  and  persisted  dog- 
gedly. 

"Where  shall  I  seek?" 

Someone  laughed  jeeringly  within,  and 
then  the  taunting  words  floated  out : 

"Ask  of  the  gods,  priest  of  the  evil 
one." 

"  I  ask  of  you,"  he  said  hoarsely.  "  I 
shall  not  leave  your  house  till  you  reply." 

He  heard  the  sound  as  of  one  moving 
with  angry  and  impetuous  haste  within, 
pushing  whatever  stood  in  her  path  aside. 
Madame  Yamada  thrust  aside  the  sliding 
shoji  doors  and  stood  in  the  opening. 

Her  words  were  mockingly  sarcastic,  and 
she  bowed  with  extravagance. 
200 


THE    LOVE    OF    AZALEA 

"  In  what  way  can  the  humblest  one 
serve  the  mightiest  ?  " 

"My  wife?"  he  demanded.  "Speak, 
woman,  where  is  she ! " 

She  smiled  inscrutably,  but  as  he  went 

nearer  to  her  the  sneering  lines  about  her 

\ 

face  deepened,  revealing  all  her  bitter  de- 
testation of  the  Kirishitan. 

"You  will  be  punished  if  you  have  in- 
jured her,"  he  said. 

"  What  will  the  wise  and  mighty  Excel- 
lency do?" 

"  I  will  have  you  arrested.  You  will  be 
forced  to  answer." 

"So!" 

She  drew  in  her  breath  with  the  hissing 
201 


THE    LOVE    OF    AZALEA 

sound  peculiar  to  the  Japanese.  Then  she 
drew  the  skirt  of  her  kimona  closely  about 
her,  and  turned  to  re-enter  the  house.  He 
caught  and  held  her  by  the  sleeve  and 
then  she  stood  still,  her  eyes  half  closed. 

"  Answer  me ! "  he  cried. 

"  It  is  not  I  who  am  the  keeper  of  the 
Outcast.  You  come  to  the  wrong  house, 
sei-yo-gin.  Seek  elsewhere." 

Still  he  held  her,  and  she  could  not  free 
herself,  though  she  made  effort  to  do  so. 
Thus  held,  in  angry  durance  she  stood. 

"  You  are  her  mother-in-law.  You  know 
where  she  is.  I  will  not  release  you  till  you 
speak." 

202 


THE    LOVE    OF    AZALEA 

"  Go  to  Okido-sama,  the  Nakoda,"  she 
said  sullenly. 

"Okido-sama?" 

"He  knows!"  said  she. 

He  let  her  arm  go  and  she,  free,  pushed 
the  shoji  viciously  closed,  attempting  to 
crush  his  hand  in  the  opening. 

"Okido-sama!"  he  repeated  thought- 
fully, "  Okido-sama,  the  Nakoda! " 


203 


CHAPTER    XV 

Okidosama,  the  Nakoda,  was  squatting 
comfortably  upon  his  heels  eating  his  warm 
rice  and  fish  when  Richard  Verley  came  to 
his  door.  During  the  absence  of  the  minis- 
ter, Okido  had  apparently  prospered.  His 
house  was  new.  His  servants  many  and 
obsequious.  The  one  who  hastened  to 
respond  to  the  minister's  knock  did  not 
recognize  him  in  the  darkened  rainy  even- 
ing. He  perceived  only  a  barbarian  and, 
knowing  his  master's  trade,  saw  in  him  a 
possible  customer. 

Verley  was  shown  into  the  guest  cham- 
204 


THE    LOVE    OF    AZALEA 

ber.  Shortly  came  Okido  to  the  room,  fat 
and  oily,  discreetly  wiping  the  rice  crumbs 
from  his  thick  lips  with  the  back  of  his 
hands.  He  was  bowing  grotesquely  at 
every  step  as  he  came  toward  the  minister, 
but  when  he  finally  lifted  his  head  and  saw 
who  his  guest  was,  he  gave  such  a  startled 
jump  that  he  fell  in  a  heap  on  the  floor, 
and  there  he  remained,  trembling  with 
fright.  Instantly  Verley  was  convinced 
that  the  man  knew  all  about  his  wife,  her 
whereabouts,  the  horrible  fate  that  must 
have  befallen  her. 

"My  wife!  You  know  her  where- 
abouts?" 

"  Your  wife ! "  stammered  the  cringing 
205 


THE    LOVE    OF    AZALEA 

Okido.  "What  was  her  august  name, 
Excellency?" 

"  You  know  it.    Answer  at  once." 

"Excellency  is  honorably  mistaken.  I 
do  not  know  the  name  of  the  exalted  one's 
wife." 

Verley,  with  no  effort  at  gentleness, 
seized  him  by  the  shoulder  of  his  robe, 
and  as  he  spoke  shook  the  trembling 
wretch  threateningly. 

"  You  will  answer  my  question.  Under- 
stand." 

The  Nakoda  began  to  whimper,  drawing 
his  sleeve  across  his  eyes  and  furtively 
looking  about  for  a  means  of  escape. 

He  was  poor  man,  very  poor,  harmless 
206 


THE    LOVE    OF    AZALEA 
man.    Surely  Excellency  would  not  hurt 
him. 

"  Quick.    I  am  waiting." 

"  So  many  people  I  know,"  whimpered 
the  Nakoda.  "  How  I  can  remember  one 
woman  among  them  all." 

"You  do  not  need  to  remember.  You 
already  know  of  whom  I  speak." 

"  She  was  a  tall  woman  with  thin  cheeks, 
yes  ?  "  he  inquired  with  attempted  guile. 

The  minister  answered  by  tightening  his 
grip  upon  the  man's  collar,  and  pushing  his 
knuckles  hard  upon  the  neck.  Okido 
shrunk  fearfully  from  the  large  hand  of  the 
white  man.  He  felt  sure  it  would  hurt 
hard.  After  a  moment : 
207 


THE    LOVE    OF    AZALEA 

"  She  was  fat— yes,  surely  fat !  " 

"  That  will  do." 

He  slipped  down  to  the  minister's  feet 
and  beat  his  head,  seeking  to  shake  off  that 
hand  at  his  neck. 

"  Listen,"  said  Richard  Verley,  "  I  will 
give  you  five  minutes  in  which  to  answer. 
At  the  end  of  that  time " 

"Excellency  will  not  beat  a  poor  man. 
Ah,  surely  not !  " 

"Excellency  will  kick  the  life  out  of 
you." 

"  No,  no.  "  Okido  cast  a  fearful  glance 
at  the  minister's  boots.  "  I  will  speak  truth. 
Surely!" 

At  those  words,  the  minister  for  a 
208 


THE    LOVE    OF    AZALEA 

moment  forgot  his  caution,  and  slackened 
the  tension  at  the  man's  neck.  But  in  that 
moment  Okido  was  free.  He  had  slipped 
not  only  from  the  minister's  grip,  but  had 
disappeared  as  if  by  magic  through  the 
wall  against  which  he  had  crouched. 

Richard  Verley  was  alone.  He  strode 
from  one  to  the  other  of  the  four  walls  of 
the  shoji.  He  threw  them  all  apart  and 
penetrated  into  the  interior  apartments. 
The  servants  fled  before  him  with  the  speed 
of  wings  and  disappeared  as  silently  and 
swiftly  as  their  master.  Suddenly  he  found 
himself  on  the  door  step.  He  went  down 
slowly  into  the  street. 
209 


THE    LOVE    OF    AZALEA 

Someone  called  his  name.  "  Excel- 
lency! Master— sir!" 

He  turned  quickly  and  saw  the  woman 
Natsu  following  him. 

Her  name  burst  in  a  cry  from  his  lips, 
and  he  rushed  toward  her. 

"Natsu!  You!  Your  mistress— quick, 
how — where  is  she  ?  " 

Her  eyes  shifted  from  his  face.  She 
covered  her  own  with  her  sleeve,  and  thus 
she  stood,  the  picture  of  sorrow. 

The  minister  stared  at  her,  horrified. 
When  he  spoke  his  voice  was  strange. 

"  I  understand,"  he  said.    "  She  is " 

And  so  she  had  died— his  little,  laughing 
Azalea,  his  beautiful  child-wife,  had  died 
210 


THE    LOVE    OF   AZALEA 

while  he  was  away  from  her.    He  put  out 
his  hands  blindly,  as  the  inclination  to  faint 
overcame  him.    He  hardly  understood  the 
words  the  woman  spoke. 
"Oh,  master,  master,  master!" 
But  the  woman's  voice  recalled  him.    He 
stared  at  her  mechanically.   Mechanically  he 
spoke. 

"  I  understand,"  he  said.    "  She  is  dead." 
"  Dead ! "    repeated    the    woman,    and 
shook  her  head.    "  No,  no,  not  dead ;  better 
that  than  what  is,  O  master— sir!  " 

"Not   dead!"    His   hands   unclinched, 
His  fears  had  lent  phantoms  to  his  imagina- 
tion.   "Alive!    Why,  then  all  was  well." 
211 


THE    LOVE    OF    AZALEA 

His  thought  escaped  his  lips,  and  the  woman 
answered : 

"  Better  death  than  sin,  O  master." 

He  could  have  laughed.  What!  Was 
this  servant  of  his  trying  to  frighten  him 
with  her  old  jealous  tales  of  the  insincerity 
of  his  wife's  conversion.  The  sins  of 
Azalea  were  microscopic. 

"Come,  Natsu,  let  us  go  to  her,"  he 
said  impatiently.  "  Why  do  you  look  at 
me  in  that  way?  Are  you,  too,  seeking 
to  hide  her  whereabouts  from  me  ?  " 

"  No,  master,  but  if  I  take  you  thither, 
you  will  curse  me  for  my  evil  offices." 

"  I  don't  understand  you,  Natsu.  You 
212 


THE    LOVE    OF    AZALEA 

always  were  a  mystery  to  me.  But  now, 
come.  Where  is  she?" 

"Oh,  master,  seek  her  not!" 

As  he  still  sought  to  draw  her  along  with 
him,  she  slipped  down  to  his  feet  and  stayed 
his  progress  with  her  head  there. 

"Why  do  you  seek  to  deceive  me, 
Natsu?  What  is  the  matter  with  you? 
Why  do  you  act  thus  ?  What  has  happened, 
to  my  wife?  Speak!" 

Still  kneeling,  with  her  head  at  his  feet, 
she  answered : 

"  She  has  become  wife  to  Matsuda  Isami, 
Oh,  Highness." 

As  he  did  not  speak  or  seem  to  compre- 
hend her  words,  she  repeated  them.  And 
213 


THE    LOVE    OF    AZALEA 
then,  as  still  he  made  no  sound,  she  said: 

"  Isami  is  richest  man  in  Sanyo.  What 
is  there  he  cannot  buy?  " 

She  was  seized  by  the  shoulders  in  a 
savage  grip.  Her  very  teeth  smote  to- 
gether with  the  shock  of  his  grasp. 

"You  lie!"  he  cried.  "You  lie!  Vile 
thing,  you  lie,  I  say!" 


214 


CHAPTER    XVI 

It  was  the  evening  of  the  return  of 
Richard  Verley  to  Sanyo.  Azalea  was  sit- 
ting passively  under  the  hands  of  the  maid, 
Natsu,  having  her  shining  black  hair 
brushed  and  twisted  into  the  elaborate 
mode  approved  by  Matsuda.  Word  had 
come  into  the  room  where  thus  far  she 
had  been  kept  a  prisoner,  ordering  her  to 
prepare  for  the  wedding  ceremony.  What- 
ever her  inward  emotions,  now  as  she  sat 
under  the  hands  of  the  woman,  she  showed 
only  a  stoical  calm.  That  nameless  an- 
tagonism which  had  always  existed  between 
215 


THE  LOVE  OF  AZALEA 
these  two  had  become  a  deeper  thing  during 
these  days  in  the  house  of  Matsuda.  In- 
stinctively Azalea  knew  the  woman  for  an 
enemy,  and  accordingly  feared  and  hated 
her.  Though  forced  to  submit  to  the 
woman's  attendance,  v  yet  she  would  not 
condescend  a  word  either  of  entreaty  or 
command.  Matsuda  held  her  destiny  in  his 
hand.  He  could  rob  her  of  her  child.  He 
had  kept  his  word  and  taught  her  lips  to 
frame  themselves  to  meeker  words.  But 
the  woman — Natsu-san — to  her  at  least  she 
need  not  kneel.  Now  on  this  day  as  Natsu 
dressed  her  mistress,  Azalea  showed  no 
interest  in  the  other's  evident  agitation, 
despite  the  fact  that  the  woman  showed 
216 


THE    LOVE    OF    AZALEA 

unusual  signs  of  being  discomposed.  Fin- 
ally as  the  silence  became  unbearable  to 
her,  the  woman  broke  it  with  strange 
words  : 

"  Mistress,"  she  said,  "  the  man  Okido  is 
waiting  below  in  the  guest  room." 

Azalea  inclined  her  head,  but  made  no 
comment.  Okido,  like  all  other  people,- 
was  of  no  interest  to  her.  The  woman 
lowered  her  voice. 

"  I  have  taken  a  patch  from  your  floor, 
mistress.  If  you  will  put  your  head  to  it 
you  will  hear  what  he  has  to  say  to  the 
master." 

Azalea's  glittering  eyes  looked  at  the 
217 


THE    LOVE    OF    AZALEA 

patch  uplifted  by  the  woman.  Still  she 
remained  silent. 

The  woman's  insidious  voice  continued 
carefully: 

"Mistress,  you  have  heard  the  ancient 
saying  of  the  samurai :  '  To  die  with  honor 
when  one  can  no  longer  live  with  honor.'  " 

The  girl  beneath  her  hands  did  not  stir, 
nor  did  she  deign  to  turn  her  head  to  where 
the  woman  pointed.  The  shorter  sword  of 
the  samurai  was  set  close  to  the  patch.  It 
was  covered  with  a  white  cloth— the  cloth 
of  honorable  death.  The  woman  had  pro- 
vided the  wife  of  the  white  priest  with  a 
means  of  escape.  Yet  she  had  judged 
wrongly.  Azalea  was  not  merely  th§ 
218 


THE    LOVE    OF    AZALEA 

daughter  of  samurai.  She  was  the  wife  of 
a  Christian.  Life  could  not  be  taken  so 
easily  as  the  woman  supposed.  The  code 
of  the  samurai  pointed  out  that  death  was 
better  than  dishonor.  The  new  religion 
said  nothing  on  this  matter.  It  simply 
forbade  the  suicide. 

The  woman,  her  task  completed,  arose 
and  brought  a  mirror  to  Azalea,  who,  still 
silent,  stared  fixedly  and  unseeingly  at  the 
reflected  face.  She  started  somewhat  as 
the  maid's  lips  touched  her  ears,  and  in  the 
glass  she  saw  the  fat  red  face  close  to  her 
own. 

"  Mistress,  to-day  if  you  listen  you  will 
219 


THE    LOVE    OF    AZALEA 

learn  the  full  extent  of  your  folly  and  the 
dupe  you  have  been  to  us  all." 

The  mirror  slipped  from  Azalea's  hands. 
She  reached  them  up  suddenly  and  pushed 
them  against  the  face  of  the  maid.  Her 
nails  sank  into  the  puffed  fatness  of  the 
woman's  cheeks. 

"Your  touch  offends  me,"  she  said. 
"  Come  not  so  near,  low-born  one." 

With  a  cry  of  rage  the  woman  sprang 
back,  clasping  her  hands  over  her  hurt 
cheeks.  Then,  muttering,  she  shuffled 
toward  the  doors.  There  she  paused  vin- 
dictively. 

"You  are  a  peacock  now,  Madame 
Azalea,  but  your  feathers  will  look  less 
220 


THE    LOVE    OF    AZALEA 

proud  and  pretty  when  you  learn  what  they 
have  cost  you.  You  disdained  the  servant 
of  the  white  Highness  and  taught  him  to  do 
likewise.  But  the  lowly  one  was  in  his 
service  long  before  his  eyes  desired  you. 
Even  a  snake  crawling  in  the  grass  may 
strike  a  revenge.  There  is  nothing  too 
small  or  lowly  to  bite.'* 

Azalea  did  not  move  or  deign  to  turn  her 
head,  even  after  the  woman  had  gone  and 
she  could  hear  her  glide  along  the  hall. 
For  a  long  time  she  sat  in  silence.  Once 
she  looked  with  fearful  stealth  at  the  open- 
ing in  the  floor,  but  she  did  not  look  for 
long.  There  was  nothing  further  for  her  to 
hear,  she  told  herself.  Who  knew  already 
221 


THE    LOVE    OF    AZALEA 
better  than  herself  the  extent  of  her  de- 
basement? 


222 


CHAPTER    XVII 

Okido  bowed  to  the  floor  before  the  illus- 
trious Matsuda  Isami.  Knowing  well  the 
nature  and  temper  of  his  employer,  he  did 
not  waste  much  time  upon  courtesies,  but 
went  briefly  to  the  object  of  his  visit. 

"  He  has  returned/'  he  said. 

"What  is  that  you  say?" 

"  The  white  beast " 

"Ah!"  Matsuda's  grasp  relaxed.  He 
took  several  strides  across  the  room,  then 
stopped  before  an  opened  shoji  and 
drummed  upon  the  panelling. 

"Well,  then— what  of  that?  "  he  asked. 
223 


THE    LOVE    OF    AZALEA 

Okido  came  to  his  elbow  and  whispered 
agitatively : 

"But  she  will  see  him.  It  cannot  be 
helped." 

Matsuda  laughed  diabolically. 

"  I  have  complete  command  over  her 
eyes,  my  good  Okido.  Have  you  not  yet 
observed  how  she  is  conquered  ?  " 

Okido  shook  his  head  dubiously. 

"  But  should  Mr.  Beast  come  in  person 
to  your  house  ?  " 

"We  have  means  of  dealing  with  bar- 
barous dogs,"  quoth  Matsuda  contemptu- 
ously, "  and  the  police  of  this  town  respect 
the  authority  of  their  masters." 
224 


THE    LOVE    OF    AZALEA 

"  But  the  letters,  most  Exalted  ?  He  will 
make  inquiry." 

"Pah!  What  of  it?"  Will  it  be  the 
first  time  that  mail  has  been  lost  between 
this  country  and  America?  " 

" so  much  mail."  Okido  moved 

uneasily.  "  Excellency,  I  am  afraid  of  the 
heavy  boot  of  the  barbarian.  It  was  I  who 
kept  back  for  you  the  letters  from  the 
barbarian  to  the  woman.  It  is  said  his 
government  is  powerful — revengeful.  Let 
me  beseech  you  to  give  me  a  sufficient  sum 
to  get  swiftly  away." 

"  On  the  contrary.  You  must  stay  here 
and  help  me.  Besides,  you  forget  the 
woman  Natsu  was  the  one  who  held  the 
225 


THE    LOVE    OF    AZALEA 

letters.    They  should  weight  her  sleeves, 
not  yours." 

"  Yet,  good  Excellency,  I  was  the  carrier, 
and " 

"  You  delivered  the  letters?  " 

"  Not  to  the  one  to  whom  they  were 
addressed,  but  to  the  servant  of  the  foreign 
devil,  who,  Exalted,  declares  she  gave  them 
to  you." 

Matsuda  laughed  unpleasantly. 

"Huh!  Then  it  is  my  sleeves  which 
are  weighted!" 

In  the  room  above  the  speakers  the 

woman  Azalea  watched  over  the  open  patch 

in  the  floor.    Her  face  beneath  the  heavy 

rouge  plastered  lately  upon  it  by  Natsu 

22$ 


THE    LOVE    OF    AZALEA 

was  a  ghastly  white.  Her  bosom  was 
heaving  with  her  quick  breathing,  her  glit- 
tering eyes  were  horrible  to  look  upon. 
She  had  heard  and  understood  every  word 
of  the  dialogue,  and  now  she  crouched  in 
the  attitude  of  a  feline  about  to  spring,  look- 
ing down  with  dreadful  eyes  upon  the  head 
of  that  one  below.  Yet  in  this  moment  of 
frenzy  Azalea  did  not  scream  or  faint.  Now 
the  strength  of  her  samurai  ancestors  surged 
upward  through  her  veins,  tingling  her 
whole  being.  Everything  else  was  blotted 
out — forgotten.  She  obeyed  only  the 
hereditary  instinct  of  the  samurai — an  in- 
stinct for  revenge.  When  she  could  move 
from  her  crouching  position  by  the  opening, 
227 


THE    LOVE    OF    AZALEA 

she  arose  with  silent  swiftness.  She  stood 
straight  and  still,  only  her  eyes  slowly 
travelling  about  the  room  as  though  seeking 
some  object. 

Suddenly  she  found  it— the  sword !  Her 
small  hands  gripped  its  blade  and  felt  its 
keenness.  Then  she  hid  it  in  the  folds  of 
her  kimona,  and,  her  colorless  lips  close 
pressed  together,  she  passed  soundlessly 

from  the  room  down  the  little  flight  of 

* 
steps  and  through  the  hall.    Suddenly  and 

almost  soundlessly  she  pushed  aside  the 
shoji  of  the  ozashishi.    Now  she  stood  be- 
tween  the   opening,   her  eyes  upon  the 
startled  ones  of  Matsuda  Isami. 
In  a  flash  he  understood  that  somehow 
228 


"  As  the  sword  flashed  upward  he  dashed  to  one  side 
and  then  slipped  under  its  guard." 

(Page  229) 


THE    LOVE    OF    AZALEA 

she  had  heard  and  knew  now  the  truth. 
His  servants  had  grown  careless.  She  had 
escaped  from  the  trap  he  had  set  for  her. 
Vengeance  was  written  in  every  line  of  her 
rigid  form.  He  could  almost  see  the 
twitching  of  her  fingers  upon  the  concealed 
weapon  in  her  sleeve.  With  a  cunning 
worthy  of  the  man  he  advanced  a  step 
toward  her,  hoping  in  this  way  to  precipi- 
tate her  attack,  and  when  she  should  spring 
upon  him  he  would  trip  her.  He  said  as  he 
advanced : 

"Little  dove,  you  look  pale  to-day- 
why " 

As  the  sword  flashed  upward  he  dashed 
to  one  side  and  then  slipped  under  its  guard. 
229 


THE    LOVE    OF   AZALEA 

His  heavy  hands  locked  together  descended 
crushingly  upon  her  head.  She  threw  back 
her  arms,  the  sword  slipping  from  her 
hand.  Then  she  fell  backward. 

Across  her  fallen  body  Matsuda  Isami 
and  Okido  stared  at  each  other.  The  latter 
was  shivering  as  though  afflicted  with  ague. 
He  kept  repeating  over  and  over  between 
his  chattering  teeth:  "Shaka!  Shaka! 
Shaka!" 

"  Do  not  speak  so  loud,"  hoarsely  com- 
manded the  other,  "  or,  by  all  the  gods,  I 
will  send  you  to  join  her ! " 

The  little  Nakoda  shrank  and  shivered 
beat  his  head  upon  the  floor. 

Matsuda  strode  to  the  dividing  doors. 
230 


THE    LOVE    OF    AZALEA 

He  called  the  woman  Natsu  as  he  clapped 
his  hands.  She  came  hurrying  along  the 
hall  and  stood  open-mouthed  on  the  thresh- 
old, looking  in  on  that  outstretched  form. 
Her  eyes  lifted  in  question  to  the  man 
Matsuda. 

"Hear  me,"  he  whispered  hoarsely. 
"The  woman  has  fallen  in  some  swoon. 
We  will  tie  her  devil  offspring  to  her  back 
and  carry  her  up  to  the  place  where  she 
belongs.  Give  me  your  aid,  good  Natsu, 
and  I  will  marry  you  instead." 


231 


CHAPTER    XVIII 

Save  for  the  moving  of  the  trees  in  the 
early  winter  air,  there  was  only  silence  on 
the  hill,  where  stood  the  little  mission  house, 
but  a  ghostly  moon  pushed  its  rays  through 
the  boughs  of  the  trees,  glistened  on  the 
panes  of  the  church  and  silvered  the  interior. 

The  rows  of  dark  pews  shone  up  stiffly 
in  the  moonlit  church,  and  a  great  white 
beam  glimmered  across  the  pulpit,  shaped 
as  a  cross. 

Azalea  crawled  on  her  hands  and  knees 
up  one  of  the  aisles  of  the  church.    She 
was  moaning  to  herself  as  she  made  her 
painful  journey  along. 
232 


THE    LOVE    OF    AZALEA 

"—to  touch  his  God!"  she  said,  "for 
even  the  evil  are  forgiven." 

Now  she  was  before  the  little  pulpit,  her 
weak  hands  upon  it.  She  sighed  at  its  con- 
tact, and  a  feeling  of  intense  calm  and  rest 
seemed  to  flood  her  being,  but  she  could 
not  support  herself  against  the  pulpit  struc- 
ture, even  upon  her  knees,  so  weak  was 
she  and  so  nauseating  the  pain  in  her  head. 
Gradually  she  sank  downward,  lower  and 
lower,  till  her  face  touched  the  floor.  Then 
she  spread  out  her  arms,  and  lay  very  still, 
face  downward. 

It  was  past  midnight  when  Richard 
Verley  came  back  to  the  door  of  the  little 
mission  house.  His  old-time  beggar  pro- 
233 


THE    LOVE    OF    AZALEA 

tegee  Gonji  accompanied  him.  From  the 
boy  the  minister  had  learned  much— all, 
indeed — concerning  his  wife.  He  knew 
now  what  had  befallen  her  so  soon  after 
the  birth  of  her  child :  her  homeless  condi- 
tion, her  vain  efforts  to  obtain  work,  her 
wanderings  and  terrible  privations,  and  then 
the  gossip  of  the  town.  People  whispered 
that  as  a  wraith  she  had  returned  to  Sanyo 
and  had  passed  as  a  shadow  into  the  house 
of  Matsuda  Isami.  The  feelings  of  the 
husband  can  be  imagined.  Such  was  the 
temperament  of  Richard  Verley  that,  even 
with  the  knowledge  in  his  mind  of  her 
probable  relations  to  the  man  Isami,  there 
was  no  thought  of  blame  for  her  in  his 
234 


THE    LOVE    OF    AZALEA 

heart.  Indeed,  the  strongest  emotion  that 
swayed  him  was  remorse  of  the  deepest  and 
bitterest.  He  should  never  have  left  her. 
He  should  have  either  forced  her  to  accom- 
pany him  or  have  remained  in  Japan  with 
her. 

His  first  impulse  now  was  that  of  the 
man-brute,  the  desire  to  kill  with  his  own 
hands  the  one  who  had  injured  him  and  his 
so  terribly.  But  a  calmer,  higher  instinct 
triumphed — the  instinct  of  the  man  of 
strong  spirituality  to  turn  to  that  One  who 

had  never  failed  him  in  time  of  stress. 
^ 

Something  seemed  to  force  his  footsteps 

toward  his  little  house  of  prayer.    So  dazed 

and  numb  was  the  condition  of  his  mind 

235 


THE    LOVE    OF    AZALEA 

at  this  time,  however,  that  he  did  not 
even  notice  when  he  came  to  the  door  of 
the  church  that  it  was  no  longer  nailed  to 
and  boarded  up. 

Richard  Verley  entered  the  church  alone. 
The  boy  was  afraid  to  enter.  He  did  not 
know  what  evil  spirit  might  be  lurking  in 
the  night  within  the  white  priest's  temple. 
He  stretched  himself  out  on  the  doorstep 
of  the  church  and  went  to  sleep  there. 

It  was  very  dark  within  now,  for  the 
moon  was  gone.  For  a  moment  the  minis- 
ter paused  irresolute.  Then  his  hand 
touched  the  side  of  a  seat.  He  sat  down 
mechanically.  Suddenly  he  covered  his 
face  with  his  hands,  and  tried  to  pray,  but 
236 


THE    LOVE    OF    AZALEA 

his  prayer  was  wordless.  For  how  long  he 
sat  thus  he  could  not  have  told.  It  might 
have  been  the  length  of  half  the  night,  for 
when  he  uncovered  his  eyes  again  things 
seemed  changed  about  him.  The  faint 
glimmer  of  the  dawn  lent  its  first  grey 
light.  He  looked  about  him — at  the  melan- 
choly church  interior,  his  eyes  traveling 
slowly  and  painfully  over  the  dusty  pews 
and  then  upward  toward  the  little  pulpit 
cross  where  he  had  spoken  so  often.  A 
patch  of  color  caught  his  eyes  and  held 
them.  He  thought  he  dreamed  and  turned 
his  glance  away,  but,  fascinated,  his  eyes 
came  back  to  that  bit  of  color  there  at  the 
foot  of  the  pulpit. 

237 


THE  LOVE  OF  AZALEA 
He  started  up  with  a  loud  cry.  A  mo- 
ment only,  and  he  was  beside  her,  his 
trembling  hands  touching  her.  Some- 
thing stirred  upon  her  back  and  he  saw  the 
round  head  of  the  baby.  Its  eyes  were 
wide  open  now  and  looking  at  him  with 
interest.  Like  most  Japanese  babies,  it  was 
a  grave,  mute  little  mite,  but  its  eyes  were 
large  and,  like  his  own  mother's,  blue  in 
color.  He  knew  it  for  his  own  child, 
though  he  could  not  see  the  face  of  the 
mother  who  lay  so  very  still.  Some  blessed 
instinct  guided  his  staggering  feet  to  the 
door.  He  aroused  the  sleeping  Gonji,  and 
put  into  his  arms  the  child.  Then  he  went 
back  into  the  church. 
238 


THE    LOVE    OF    AZALEA 

She  had  told  him  in  those  other  days,  so 
many  times,  that  his  voice  would  waken 
her  from  the  very  sleep  of  death.  When 
her  eyes  looked  up  into  his  face  she  would 
not  close  them  though  they  ached  with 
weariness.  She  even  smiled  at  his  broken 
repetitions  of  her  name. 

"I  do  not  know  how  it  is  you  are  here," 
he  said,  "but  here  you  are — in  my  arms, 
my  wife,  and  it  is  enough." 

Her  voice  was  weak,  but  inexpressibly 
sweet. 

"It  is  enough,"  she  said. 


239 


14  DAY  USE 

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